ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Bridleways (Bolton)

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she is taking to resolve the PROW claim regarding bridleways linking the villages of Darcy Lever, Little Lever, Kearsley and Prestolee and the township of Farnworth in the constituency of Bolton, South-East in the Croal-Irwell Valley.

Alun Michael: Bolton metropolitan borough council was directed by the Secretary of State to determine the claim within a specified period which ended in November 2004. The council did not do so; instead it has sought to resolve the claim, and a second one in respect of a linked path, by persuading landowners to dedicate the routes as bridleways. At my request Defra officials have written to the council requesting details of how the council proposes to resolve the matter and its timetable for doing so. I shall review the issue in light of this response.

Air Pollution

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many days of (a) moderate, (b) high and (c) very high air pollution have been recorded by each automatic monitoring station in London in each year since 1997.

Alun Michael: There are currently 113 automatic air monitoring stations in London incorporated in the Automatic Urban and Rural Network (AURN) and the London Air Quality Network (LAQN). The following table summarises the average number of days of (a) moderate, (b) high and (c) very high air pollution recorded by all automatic monitoring stations in London in each year since 1997.
	
		Average number of days in each band across London by year and pollutant (1997 to 2004)
		
			 Pollutant/Band 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Carbon monoxide 
			 2. Moderate 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 3. High 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 4.Very High 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			 Nitrogen dioxide 
			 2. Moderate 4 2 2 6 4 4 6 9 
			 3.High 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 4.Very High 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			 Ozone 
			 2. Moderate 54 48 72 60 61 68 85 73 
			 3. High 1 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 
			 4.Very High 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			 Participate Matter (PM10) 
			 2. Moderate 34 30 43 54 55 64 77 59 
			 3. High 3 0 2 2 3 2 4 3 
			 4.Very High 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 1 
			  
			 Sulphur dioxide 
			 2. Moderate 3 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 
			 3. High 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 4.Very High 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	The detailed information for each automatic monitoring station is published
	on the National Air Quality Information Archive at:
	http://www.airquality.co.uk/archive/reports/reports.php?report_id=309
	Historic and current data from the AURN and LAQN networks can be found at the following locations:
	AURN: http://www.airquality.co.uk/archive/index.php
	LAQN: http://www.londonair.org.uk/london/asp/home.asp

Air Pollution

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the concentration was of (a) nitrogen dioxide, (b) sulphur dioxide and (c) benzene in each (i) London borough and (ii) London ward in each of the last five years.

Alun Michael: There are extensive networks of automatic and non-automatic air monitors in London. Air quality is not measured for these pollutants in each London borough and ward.
	Table 1 summarises the minimum (min) and maximum (max) annual mean concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and benzene across London in each of the last five years. The information is collected by Automatic Urban and Rural Network (AURN), the London Air Quality Network (LAQN). Historic and current data from the AURN and LAQN networks can be found at:
	AURN: http://www.airquality.co.uk/archive/index.php
	LAQN: http://www.londonair.org.uk/london/asp/home.asp
	
		Table 1: Range of annual mean concentrations in micrograms per metre cubed across London by year and pollutant (1997–2004)
		
			  Pollutant 
			  Benzene Nitrogen dioxide Sulphur dioxide 
			  Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum 
		
		
			 1997 3.38 5.67 35 74 9 20 
			 1998 2.68 12.79 32 92 7 19 
			 1999 2.52 10.77 32 93 4 13 
			 2000 1.58 6.29 28 121 4 15 
			 2001 4.55 4.55 29 119 4 14 
			 2002 — — 25 122 3 13 
			 2003 3.33 3.33 28 107 24 183 
			 2004 2.48 2.48 24 183 3 21 
		
	
	Note:
	Data for 2004 are provisional. No data are available for benzene for 2002. The number of sites used in the analysis varies each year as networks change. The minimum and maximum annual mean benzene figures presented in the table are the same for 2001, 2003 and 2004 because only a single site was operational for that pollutant in London during those years.
	Table 2 summarises nitrogen dioxide concentrations measured by the UK nitrogen dioxide diffusion tube network in London since 1999. Average minimum and average maximum concentrations are presented for all roadside and background locations. A detailed table showing information for the London boroughs in which the diffusion tubes are located is available from the Air Quality Archive at:
	http://www.airquality.co.uk/archive/reports/reports.php?report id=309 .
	
		Table 2: Minimum and maximum annual mean nitrogen dioxide concentrations are in micrograms per metre cubed over London by year at both roadside and background locations
		
			  Minimum roadside annual mean Maximum roadside annual mean Minimum background annual mean Maximum background annual mean 
		
		
			 1999 34 80 21 64 
			 2000 29 66 22 47 
			 2001 31 87 20 42 
			 2002 28 77 16 43 
			 2003 38 101 23 67 
			 2004 31 97 19 71 
		
	
	Note:
	Data for 2004 are provisional. Data for December 2004 are not yet available.

Animal By-Products Regulation

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons the processing of slaughter house waste is designated by her Department as a major hazard operation; and whether this designation was required under Animal By-Products Regulation (EC) No. 1774/2002.

Ben Bradshaw: The regulation does not define a major hazard operation. However, in order to ensure that the controls are applied evenly across the country, Defra has issued guidance on how we intend to apply the regulation in relation to intermediate plants. The guidance is the result of our interpretation of the legislation and our assessment of the risks to human and animal health associated with handling animal by-products at intermediate plants.
	In the guidance we differentiate between loading operations that we regard as a major hazard (e.g. tipping of slaughterhouse waste) and operations that we consider to be a lesser hazard.
	A major consideration is the physical characteristics of the material to be handled. The handling of slaughterhouse waste (containing viscera, bones, specified risk material etc.) is more likely to result in environmental contamination due to spillage of material or associated fluids than the handling of entire carcases.

Animal By-Products Regulation

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for how long temporary licences will be granted to businesses that need to make changes to their operations to comply with Animal By-Products Regulation (EC) No. 1774/2002; and whether temporary licences to businesses will take into account the time required to obtain planning consent.

Ben Bradshaw: The Animal By-Products Regulation has applied in member states since 1 May 2003, and operators have therefore had over 18 months to achieve compliance with its requirements. Continued extension of temporary approvals for non-compliant premises would disadvantage those operators who have invested to meet the required standards, and as a general rule we are not granting such extensions. However, we recognise that in a very small number of cases, short-term approval may be appropriate to allow for specified remedial works to be carried out to an agreed deadline. A temporary approval will only be issued in these circumstances. If the operator cannot provide us with a clear deliverable schedule of works, for example because he has not obtained planning consent, we will not issue a temporary approval.

Animal By-Products Regulation

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the other ways are in which Intermediary Plants can demonstrate compliance with the Animal By-Products Regulation (EC) No. 1774/2002 referred to in the answer to the hon. Member for North Wiltshire of 12 February 2004, Official Report, column 1558W; and how many intermediary plants in England have been licensed which demonstrate compliance with the Animals By-Products Regulation (EC) No. 1774/2002 in other ways.

Ben Bradshaw: The Animal By-Products Regulation (EC) No. 1774/2002 requires Intermediate Plants to have a covered space" to receive animal by-products. It also requires the plant to be constructed in such a way that it is easy to clean and disinfect, and that floors must be laid down in such a way as to facilitate the draining of liquids. The plant must also have appropriate arrangements for protection against pests, such as insects, rodents and birds.
	As stated in the answer of 12 February 2004, in our view, the combination of these requirements is such that it would be necessary for the plant to have a roof, walls and a floor before we can approve it. I am not aware of any operator who has been able to demonstrate that their plant complies in another way. However, it is open to them to propose alternative ways of complying with all of the above requirements.

Bovine Artificial Insemination

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether test samples from bulls for artificial insemination purposes may be sent to approved laboratories in other member states of the EU.

Ben Bradshaw: Tests to support the official approval of a bull for use in artificial insemination may only be carried out in the member state where the bull resides. Where additional private testing is carried out by the industry to help it monitor the health status of animals, such testing may be carried out in another member state, but the results would not carry official recognition.

Bovine Artificial Insemination

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of testing a bull for the purpose of artificial insemination is (a) in Great Britain and (b) in Northern Ireland.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) The cost of testing a bull for artificial insemination in Great Britain is governed by the Artificial Insemination (Cattle and Pigs) (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 1992.
	
		£
		
			 Category First animal Each additional animal 
		
		
			 Approval of a bull for semen collection for domestic purposes at a domestic centre/on-farm 207 144 
			 Approval of a bull in accordance with the tests specified in Directive 88/407/EEC for semen collection at an EU centre 152 95 
		
	
	(b) The cost of testing a bull for artificial insemination in Northern Ireland is charged under the powers laid down in the Artificial Reproduction of Animals (Northern Ireland) Order 1975 (as amended). Domestic centres/on-farm collections are not permitted. Bulls are sampled by private veterinary practitioners with financial arrangements agreed between the bull owner and the veterinary practice concerned.
	
		
			 Category £ 
		
		
			 Approval of a bull in accordance with the tests specified in Directive 88/407/EEC for semen collection at an EU centre  
			 Fee for certificate of approval 41 
			 Charge for laboratory tests 28.82 
		
	
	All fees are currently under review as part of the exercise to update controls on the production of bovine semen.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of whether biosecurity measures applied by farmers to their cattle herds to prevent contact between cattle and badgers reduce significantly the incidence of endemic infection in badgers.

Ben Bradshaw: No such assessment has been made.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications of (a) the length of theperiod in cattle affected by bovine tuberculosis before overt lung lesions develop and (b) annual or six-monthly tuberculosis testing and removal of infected animals for the threat of cattle-to-cattle transmission from infected animals.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) The development of disease in individual cattle is variable with no consistent timeframe for those that may go on to develop lung lesions. The period before lung lesions develop depends on factors such as the number of bacilli infecting the lung and the strength of the immune response of the animal.
	(b) The sooner infected animals are detected the less likely they are to transmit disease to direct contacts or other herds. Local prevalence of bovine TB is reviewed annually, and this is used to determine parish TB testing frequencies. Areas where disease is more established are tested more regularly and yearly testing is carried out in herds at higher risk of infection. In addition, divisional veterinary managers can increase the level of testing in their areas to reflect changes in the local TB situation.
	Testing every six months would detect some infections sooner but there would be resource restraints on such a policy. In order to target resources most effectively, only cattle herds which have recently suffered a TB breakdown are tested after a six-monthly interval.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her most recent estimate of the badger population in England and Wales is; and what estimates have been made of the population during the last 30 years.

Ben Bradshaw: Surveys of badger populations in Great Britain were undertaken in the mid-1980's and mid-1990's. In the mid-1980's the badger population was estimated to be 250,000 badgers 1 and in the mid-1990's in the region of 300,000 to 400,000 badgers 2 .
	We are not aware of other national surveys and do not have figures for England and Wales or estimates of the population before the mid-1980s.
	The history, distribution, status and habitat requirements of the badger in Britain. Nature Conservancy Council, Peterborough.
	The National Badger Survey.
	1 Cresswell, P. Harris, S. and Jefferies, D. J. (1990).
	2 Wilson, Harris and Mclaren (1997).

Bovine TB

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her most recent estimate is of the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in the West Midlands region.

Ben Bradshaw: The estimated incidence of bovine tuberculosis in the West Midlands and surrounding counties for the period 1 January-31 December 2004 is detailed in the following table:
	
		
			 County Cattle herds Tests on unrestricted herds Confirmed new herd incidents (CNIs) Estimated TB herd incidence(1) (percentage) 
		
		
			 West Midlands 175 35 0 0.0 
			 Herefordshire and Worcestershire 2,931 2,127 194 9.1 
			 Shropshire 2,846 1,726 62 3.6 
			 Staffordshire 2,702 1,798 63 3.5 
			 Warwickshire 903 332 5 1.5 
		
	
	(1) Confirmed new herd incidents as a percentage of tests on unrestricted herds (used as a way of estimating the herd incidence of confirmed TB).
	Note:
	Provisional data downloaded from the State Veterinary Service database on 15 February 2005. Subject to change as more data become available.

Bovine TB

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to announce the outcome of the gamma interferon test to identify cases of bovine TB in cattle.

Ben Bradshaw: The gamma-interferon policy pilot is designed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of this test as an ancillary diagnostic tool to identify additional cases of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle herds affected by confirmed TB breakdowns with multiple reactors.
	The outcome of the pilot will be announced once the required sample size of herds (approximately 600) has been achieved, or statistically significant differences between the trial and control groups are observed.
	As of the end of January 2005, 141 herds had been recruited into the pilot. Herd owners' participation in this study is voluntary. The Veterinary Laboratories Agency will be conducting an interim analysis of the pilot's preliminary results once 150 herds have been recruited and sufficient time has elapsed for a preliminary estimate of the effects of treatments to be calculated.

Bovine TB

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects a vaccine against bovine TB in (a) badgers and (b) cattle to become available.

Ben Bradshaw: The research programme for producing an effective vaccine against tuberculosis in (a) badgers and (b) cattle remains broadly in line with the timetable outlined in the Krebs report (1997). This estimated:
	Years 1–5: Identification of candidate vaccines and development of differential diagnostic tests;
	Years 5–10: Experimental investigations of vaccination protocols;
	Years 10–15: Field trials.
	The first stage started in 1999 and is on-going. My department is now planning how to take forward the second stage, taking advice from independent experts on this complex issue.

Bovine TB

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the conclusions of the Irish four counties bovine TB study regarding the relative methods of badger removal and vaccination as strategies for the elimination of bovine TB.

Ben Bradshaw: Advice from the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISO) and Professor Charles Godfray and his group on the report of the Irish Four Area Culling Trial, together with a statement from Defra's Chief Scientific Adviser, was published on Defra's website: (http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/index.htm) on 1 March.

Bovine TB

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the merits of reintroduction of reactive culling of badgers to eradicate bovine TB.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 7 March 2005
	There is no evidence to suggest that the resumption of reactive culling would reduce the incidence of bovine TB in cattle. The Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISG) has continued to collect data from the reactive areas of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial and recent analyses are consistent with results presented in late 2003, with the confidence limits providing no evidence for a beneficial effect of the reactive strategy over the time scale under study. Further detailed investigations based on the distribution of TB breakdowns in space and time are underway to investigate whether the observed increased incidence was linked to proximity to reactive culling. In addition, as further TB incidence data are obtained, the ISG will continue to analyse data from reactive areas. If the TB incidence rates in reactive and survey areas become more similar over time, this finding would indicate that the observed increase in TB breakdowns in reactive areas, compared with survey-only areas, was associated with reactive culling.

Correspondence

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Totnes dated 9 December 2004 with regard to Mr. and Mrs. K. Carding of Kingsbridge.

Alun Michael: The Department has no record of receiving any letter dated 9 December 2004 from the hon. Member. If he will send me a copy, I will ensure that he receives a speedy response.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the EC-New Zealand Joint Committee met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The EC-New Zealand Joint Management Committee met on 1–2 June 2004 in Brussels, during the Irish presidency. The UK was represented by a senior veterinarian from Defra.
	The UK supports veterinary equivalence agreements with third countries as a way of strengthening relationships, exchanging information on animal health issues and developing trade opportunities between the EU and the country concerned.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the EC-Canada Joint Committee met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The EC-Canada Joint Management Committee met on 15–17 July 2003 in Apeldoora, Netherlands, during the Italian presidency, and on 17–18 February 2004 in Quebec, Canada, during the Irish presidency. On each occasion the UK was represented by a senior veterinarian from Defra.
	The UK supports veterinary equivalence agreements with third countries as a way of strengthening relationships, exchanging information on animal health issues and developing trade opportunities between the EU and the country concerned.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the Committee on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora (Habitat) met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Committee on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora (the Habitats Committee) met a total of three times during the Italian, Irish and Dutch presidencies, on 14 October 2003, 24 March 2004 and 19 October 2004. Each meeting took place in Brussels.
	UK representation at the October 2003 meeting consisted of two officials from my Department, one official from the Scottish Executive and a scientific expert from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC). At the March 2004 meeting representation was one official from my Department, a scientific expert from the JNCC, plus one official from each of the devolved administrations. At the October 2004 meeting the UK Representation was two officials from the Department, a scientific expert from the JNCC and one official from the Department of Environment (Northern Ireland).

Farm Subsidies

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the 20 largest farms or farm companies were in each county in England in each of the last three years; and how much subsidy was received by each in each of the last three years.

Alun Michael: The release of Common Agricultural Policy scheme payments details is currently under discussion and is also the subject of a number of requests under the Freedom of Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations. A decision on how to respond to questions of this nature will be made shortly. I will write to the hon. Member to inform him of our decision.

Fisheries

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent evidence she has found of pair trawlers fishing in the offshore sea bass fishery.

Ben Bradshaw: Prior to the recent introduction of UK legislation to prohibit pelagic pair trawling for bass within the 12 nautical mile zone of the south-west coast of England, UK vessels had been involved in this fishery early in the current season, both inside and outside the 12 mile zone.

Fisheries

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what plans she has to monitor the pair trawl sea bass fishery in the south west;
	(2)  what recent reports she has received from observers in the south-west approaches monitoring the pair trawl sea bass fishery.

Ben Bradshaw: As in previous years, Defra-funded observers have been placed on UK vessels pair trawling for bass in the south-west. This work is now undertaken to comply with the EU bycatch regulation, Council Regulation (EC) No. 812/2004,and so is now a requirement for other member states with vessels in this fishery. The pair trawl fishery for bass usually takes place between November/December and April. Results from the observations will be made available after the fishing season has closed, allowing time for collation and analysis of the data.

Fisheries

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the European Commission regarding the pair trawl sea bass fishery.

Ben Bradshaw: On 27 January the UK made a request to the European Commission for the UK prohibition on pair trawling within 12 miles of the south-west coast to be extended to vessels from other member states with historic rights of access to the six to 12 mile zone. On 21 February the Commission rejected the UK request. I am currently considering the Commission's response and our next steps, building on the Commission's commitment to find an effective solution to the bycatch problem in the south-west.

Fisheries

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) Government and (b) EU aid was paid to the UK fishing industry in each of the last eight years for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The total amount of Government aid and EU aid paid by Fisheries Departments in the UK to the fishing industry in each of the last eight years is as follows:
	
		£ million
		
			  UK aid EU aid 
		
		
			 1997–98 17.1 14.3 
			 1998–99 5.9 9.8 
			 1999–2000 3.5 11.0 
			 2000–01 2.1 5.6 
			 2001–02 4.3 7.6 
			 2002–03 24.2 20.7 
			 2003–04 42.5 15.0 
			 2004–05 10.7 8.7 
			 Total 110.6 92.9 
		
	
	In addition to this the Government supports the fishing industry and its communities through other schemes.

Flood Defences

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how much has been spent by the Government on flood management and defence in each year since 1997; and how much was spent on (a) preventative measures and (b) repairs and restoration for damage caused by flooding incidents in each year;
	(2)  how much has been spent by the Government on coastal protection in each year since 1997.

Margaret Beckett: Defra has overall policy responsibility for flood and coastal erosion risk management in England. Prior to April 2004 Government funding of flood risk management took the form of capital grants from Defra for improvement projects and support from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to local authorities towards the levies they paid to the Environment Agency and Internal Drainage Boards. Since April 2004 Defra has funded the great majority of the flood defence work of the Environment Agency.
	Grant aid was not available from Defra for repairs and restoration for damage caused by flooding incidents. However, following the severe flooding in 2000, exceptional funding of £9 million in 2000–01 and £7 million in 2001–02 was paid to the Environment Agency in support of emergency response and repairs to defence infrastructure following flood damage.
	Total funding and grant to the operating authorities is set out in the following table. The latter includes Supplementary Credit Approval (SCA) (replaced by Supported Capital Expenditure (Revenue) from April 2004) for local authorities to fund the balance of their costs after grant.
	
		£ million
		
			  Total Government funding(2) Defra grant and SCA for flood risk management improvement projects(3) Defra grant and SCA for coastal erosion risk management improvement projects(4) 
		
		
			 1997–98 312 (5)48.5 33.0 
			 1998–99 315 34.5 35.9 
			 1999–2000 326 34.1 33.9 
			 2000–01 328 33.6 20.4 
			 2001–02 363 57.9 20.2 
			 2002–03 407 80.0 35.0 
			 2003–04 430 80.0 40.4 
		
	
	(2) Total figure across Government, including significant support from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to local authorities to support their levies to the Environment Agency and internal drainage boards and their own spend on flood and coastal erosion risk management. Also Defra contributions to Environment Agency national initiatives such as for the National Flood and Coastal Defence Database, public awareness campaigns, development of catchment flood management plans etc.
	(3) Flood risk improvement projects (including flood warning) and related studies, tidal and coastal as well as inland. Actual investment would have been significantly higher as Defra grant formed only about 60 per cent. of the investment, the balance being made up from local authority levy funding for the Environment Agency.
	(4) Coastal erosion improvement projects and related studies; many of these provide protection against flooding from the sea as well as erosion.
	(5) Figures for grant reflect outturn of demand by operating authorities within allocation, not necessarily original provision. The original grant allocation for 1997–98 was increased significantly in year by redistribution of funds from elsewhere in the Department.

Food Safety (Imports)

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from which countries known to be experiencing outbreaks of (a) foot and mouth disease, (b) avian influenza, (c) bovine spongiform encephalopathy and (d) bovine tuberculosis food may be imported; what safeguards are in place to protect UK consumers; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra does not hold a list of countries that are recorded as having endemic diseases such as foot and mouth disease (FMD), highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and bovine tuberculosis (TB). The internationally recognised central source for official information on the distribution of animal diseases is the Office International des Epizooties (OIE). Also known as the World Organisation for Animal Health, the OIE is the world organisation responsible for the collection and dissemination of information on international animal health—it has a role analogous to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
	Information on countries with FMD, HPAI, BSE and TB can be found on their website, at the following address:
	http://www.oie.int/eng/en index.htm
	Community rules establish lists of countries from which food of animal origin can be imported. These lists are complex and can vary depending on the type of product eg fresh meat, cooked meat and milk. In addition to this, most food of animal origin has to be accompanied by appropriate animal and public health certification and has to come from approved establishments.
	Defra provides information on import requirements in the form of Trader Information Notes (TINs) which set out the conditions under which food products of animal origin should be imported. The TINs are available on our website:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/int-trde/misc/tins/index.htm
	Safeguards
	If there is an outbreak of disease in an exporting country, community legislation allows member states to take appropriate emergency safeguard action, which may include a ban on imports of animal products from all, or parts, of that country, pending emergency action at community level. Once community measures are put in place the safeguard measures will reflect them.
	All meat and milk imported into the EU from third countries must enter at designated border inspection posts where they are subject to veterinary inspections. All consignments are subject to documentary and identity checks. At least 20 per cent. of consignments of animal products undergo physical checks. These checks ensure import conditions are met.

Foodstuff Importation

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the measures in place to control the importation of foodstuffs;
	(2)  what the budget is in 2004–05 for the inspection and monitoring of food imports; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what inspection facilities are in place at (a) ports and (b) airports to control the importation of foodstuffs; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: The information is as follows:
	Illegal imports
	£25 million of new money has been made available over three years 2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06 to tackle illegal imports of products of animal origin (POAO) and plants and plant based goods (PBG) from third countries.
	HM Customs and Excise have enforcement responsibility at the frontier for illegal imports of products of animal origin (POAO) and plant based goods (PBG) from countries outside the European Union.
	Customs have over 3,500 Detection staff who have anti-smuggling responsibilities for POAO and PBG. Within this Customs has dedicated around additional 100 officers specifically to POAO and PBG; 10 POAO detector dogs are also deployed.
	Food of animal origin
	All products of animal origin imported from third countries must enter at designated border inspection posts (BIPs) where they are subject to veterinary inspections to make sure they comply with EU import rules. BIPs are approved by the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health. There are currently BIPs at 11 ports and five airports in England that are approved to check imports of products of animal origin for human consumption. The inspection services at the BIP are the responsibility of the local authority. Officers from the State Veterinary Service regularly visit BIPs to offer advice and check on compliance with EU requirements. FVO inspectors inspect BIPs to ensure that they are operating correctly. EU law requires the local authority to recover the costs of the import checks from importers: details of budgets are not held centrally.
	If there is an outbreak of disease likely to present a risk to human or animal health, Community legislation allows us to take appropriate safeguard action, which may include a ban on imports of meat from all, or parts, of that country.
	For non-animal food
	Food imports from countries outside the European Union must meet food safety and food standards requirements equivalent to those for UK produced food, and can be subject to checks by local food authorities at UK ports and inland to ensure they comply.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is responsible for allocating local authority budgets, and funding for imported food controls would form part of the Revenue Support Grant arrangements. The Food Standards Agency has made further specific funding available through grants for local authority sampling and surveillance of imported food. In 2003–04, a total of £600 000 was allocated to 110 authorities and, in 2004–05, £840 000 to 140 authorities.
	Under the Imported Food Regulations 1997, the person importing food not of animal origin shall provide all such facilities as may be reasonably required for the examination of the food. In practice, facilities are provided by the port operators and vary according to the type of port and the nature and size of the foods imported. We have been discussing with the European Commission the possibility of sharing BIP facilities with authorities checking non-animal food goods.

Foot and Mouth

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what conclusions were drawn from Operation Hornbeam regarding the role of local knowledge in combating future outbreaks of foot and mouth disease.

Ben Bradshaw: Exercise Hornbeam did not set out to test those aspects of disease control in which local knowledge would have been important. Its principle objectives were to validate and confirm the Government's foot and mouth disease contingency plan and to focus on the strategic and tactical decision-making process. However, local operational partners were engaged in the exercise in five Animal Health Divisional Offices in England, Scotland and Wales and their knowledge and expertise was important to its success.
	The Government recognise the importance of a collaborative response to a disease outbreak and local operational partners will continue to be involved in future exercises testing animal disease contingency plans.

Foot and Mouth

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the 10 largest amounts paid in the UK to valuers during the foot and mouth epidemic were; and to whom they were paid.

Ben Bradshaw: The 10 largest amounts paid in the UK to organisations that undertook valuations during the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak were:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 Penrith Farmers and Kidds 2,319,242 
			 Harrison and Hetherington Limited 1,396,810 
			 Cumberland and Dumfrieshire Farmers 540,243 
			 Kivells 442,684 
			 Hopes Auction Company Limited 409,660 
			 Hexham and Northern Markets 336,696 
			 KVN Stockdale Limited 325,434 
			 Richard Turner and Son 321,902 
			 Craven Cattle Marts 207,192 
			 Mitchells Auction Company Limited 205,712

Footpaths

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2005, Official Report, column 773W, on footpaths, for how many footpaths the Secretary of State has issued a direction authorising continued closure in each of the last five years; for what reasons in each case; and when she expects each to be re-opened.

Alun Michael: It will take some time to assemble this information from Government regional offices as files are having to be called back from depositories. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available. The reasons for authorising extended temporary closure fall into two categories: either to protect public safety or to allow for completion of works. It is not possible to say when each footpath under a temporary closure will be re-opened as this is a matter for the local highway authority. Government offices are required to take care to ensure that no temporary order (or subsequent extensions) will allow, in effect, the permanent closure of a public right of way.

Harmful Cargoes

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what monitoring of (a) fish stocks and (b) other marine wildlife occurs in parts of UK waters where harmful cargoes are known to have been lost overboard.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 7 March 2005
	The need for monitoring in relation to incidents where harmful cargoes are lost overboard is determined on a case-by-case basis taking into account the physical and chemical characteristics of the cargoes, and the characteristics of the local environment and resources that are under threat. This may involve monitoring of fish stocks and other marine wildlife. Such monitoring is usually focused on the substances contained in the cargoes and is limited to the duration of the incidents and shortly thereafter, although periodic monitoring over a longer period is done when it is justified.
	CEFAS, FRS, EA, SEPA and the statutory nature conservation agencies conduct general monitoring of the marine environment. CEFAS and FRS are involved in monitoring fish stocks while the statutory nature conservation agencies are involved in monitoring the condition of a range of habitats and species.

Horse Exports

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the effect of the introduction of horse passports on the number of equines exported live from the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: We can see no reason for the introduction of horse passports to have any effect on the number of equines exported live from the UK.

Mr. David Blunkett

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what enquiries she has made into payments made to the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) by a company involved in major commercial dealings with her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: The Register of Members' Interests records that the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) is an adviser to Indepen Consulting Ltd. From information held centrally, the Department has no record of commercial dealings with this company.

Peat-free Soil Improvers

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what market data her Department (a) collects and (b) plans to collect on progress towards the Government's targets for peat-free materials.

Ben Bradshaw: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (and previously those Government Departments responsible) collected data on the use of peat and alternative products for growing media and soil improvers in the UK between 1993 and 2001 at various intervals. The use of peat and alternative products by all market sectors was not monitored by this survey until 1999. The results of the last survey were published in 2003. A more recent Defra report studying the use of peat and peat alternatives by the commercial horticulture sector in 2003 was published in 2004.
	A new survey will monitor the use of peat and alternative products between 2005 and 2010. This will measure the use of these products by all market sectors. Further surveys may be commissioned as part of the work of a growing media forum that we plan to convene shortly to inform the development of an action plan to reduce the use of peat in the UK.

Regional Bodies

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what regional (a) bodies, (b) institutions, (c) taskforces, (d) panels, (e) offices and (f) organisations the Government has established since May 1997 which are the responsibility of her Department.

Alun Michael: The following is from internal sources only. A full Defra wide canvass was not undertaken due to the disproportionate cost of doing so. This is correct as at 8 March 2005.
	The following regional bodies" have been established since 1997:
	The Regional Rural Affairs Forums were set up in 2001. Members give their time voluntarily and they are asked to be objective and independent in their work. They are asked to advise both Defra and the Government Office in the region, of her views.
	Regional steering groups, were established in 2003 to provide input into the development of regional delivery plans for the Government's Farming and Food Strategy.
	The following regional body" has been established since 1997, then disbanded:
	Regional Dialogue Panels were established and then disbanded in 2004. They were established in each English region as part of consultations on preparing the new UK Sustainable Development Strategy.

Regional Offices

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State forEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs which (a) non-departmental public bodies and (b) executive agencies within the remit of her Department have regional offices based on the Government Offices for the Regions' regional structure; and when the regional offices were established in each case.

Alun Michael: The information is as follows:
	Executive Agencies
	There are no executive agencies which have any regional offices based on the Government Offices regional structure.
	NDPBs
	Two NDPBs have regional offices or Regional Directors based on the Government Offices regional structure, as follows:
	1. The Countryside Agency currently has regional offices based on the Government Office regional structure. These offices were established when the Agency was created in April 1999.
	2. English Nature has a sub-regional structure. It does not have regional offices as such but does have Regional Directors who have an overview of the local teams in areas which appear to be based on the GO Regions. There is no internal information as to when these Directors were established.

Sewerage

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress is being made in adopting private sewers; and when a framework will be available to explain how this will occur.

Elliot Morley: The Government published a response to its consultation—Review of Existing Private Sewers and Drains in England and Wales—in October 2004. Eighty one per cent. of respondents favoured a change of ownership, and of these, 90 per cent. held the view that sewerage undertakers should take over responsibility. The Government acknowledged the strength of support for this solution and undertook to look into it in more depth.
	The Department chairs a Steering Group, of which WaterVoice, Ofwat and Water UK are members, which is currently considering sustainable options for the way forward on private sewers and lateral drains. The Department also recently held a seminar with stakeholders to examine these options. Further information on the seminar is available on the Department's website at www.Defra.gov.uk
	The Government intends to publish a decision paper this summer, but does not rule out the need to consult further on the scope and form of transferring ownership.

Sudan 1

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions her Department has had with officials in (a) the Department of Health and (b) the Food Standards Agency regarding the addition of Sudan 1 to food for human consumption.

Alun Michael: Defra officials have participated in a number of recent FSA-led meetings with the food industry and other stakeholders on Sudan I. This was also discussed when my noble Friend, the Lord Whitty, met Sir John Krebs, Chair of the Food Standards Agency, on 23 February.

Wind Farms

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of birds which have been killed by wind farms in the UK in each of the last three years; and what estimate she has made of likely future numbers.

Ben Bradshaw: No systematic collection of bird mortality caused by wind farms has been undertaken in the UK in the last three years or is planned in the immediate future. Collision mortality is very difficult to assess comprehensively due to the problems experienced in carcase recovery at inaccessible sites i.e. at sea offshore or over hilly terrain.
	In the UK ornithological assessments are conducted for proposed wind farm sites as part of the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA). The EIA forms part of the environmental statement submitted by wind farm developers in support of a planning application.
	Defra is producing guidance for off shore areas that will help developers to consider how to minimise any impacts on bird numbers to ensure that any that do occur are below significant levels.
	The Government's renewable energy initiatives form part of it's response to the threat of climate change, including the acknowledged likelihood that climate change is likely to lead to irreversible and accelerated losses of biodiversity.

Bird Control

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what notice she gave of her intention to alter the terms of general Licence WLF18 to include an obligation to consider appropriate non-lethal methods.

Ben Bradshaw: Between 31 March and 14 July 2004 a pre-consultation exercise was undertaken by Defra on the review of general licences to kill or take so-called pest species" of birds. This pre-consultation, on a number of proposed changes to general licences, included reference to other satisfactory solutions, involved key interests and was also published on the Defra website. The pre-consultation document can be accessed via the following link: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/bird-licence/index.htm.
	The responses to the pre-consultation were carefully considered and further discussions took place between Defra officials and organisations representing shooting and conservation interests.
	On 10 February 2005 I announced the removal of the house sparrow and starling from general licences. This was supplemented at the time by a press release and a table of proposed changes to be made to general licences. This included reference to a condition regarding the use of non-lethal alternatives.
	The press release and table can be accessed via the following link: http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2005/050210a.htm.
	On 9 March 2005 in order to clear up misunderstanding in relation to the obligation to consider appropriate non-lethal methods Defra altered the wording of the general licence condition to read,
	This licence can only be relied on in circumstances where the authorised person is satisfied that appropriate non-lethal methods of control such as scaring are either ineffective or impracticable."
	A press notice was issued and the revised licences were immediately published on the Defra website. A copy of the press notice can be accessed via the following link: http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2005/050309c.htm.

Bird Control

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consultation she undertook before adding to the General Licence WLF18 the obligation for the authorised person to demonstrate that appropriate non-lethal methods are ineffective or impracticable.

Ben Bradshaw: A pre-consultation exercise on the review of general licences to kill or take so-called pest species" of birds was undertaken in the summer of 2004. This pre-consultation, on a number of proposed changes to general licences, involved key interests and was also published on the Defra website.
	The pre-consultation document can be accessed via the following link: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/bird-licence/index.htm.
	The responses to the pre-consultation were carefully considered and further discussions took place between Defra officials and organisations representing shooting and conservation interests.
	On 9 March 2005 in order to clear up misunderstanding in relation to the obligation to consider appropriate non-lethal methods Defra amended the wording of the general licence condition to read,
	This licence can only be relied on in circumstances where the authorised person is satisfied that appropriate non-lethal methods of control such as scaring are either ineffective or impracticable."

Bird Control

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance she intends to issue to authorised persons under General Licence WLF18 on how they should assess whether non-lethal methods are ineffective or impracticable.

Ben Bradshaw: On 9 March 2005 in order to clear up misunderstanding in relation to the obligation regarding appropriate non-lethal methods Defra altered the wording of the general licence condition to read,
	This licence can only be relied on in circumstances where the authorised person is satisfied that appropriate non-lethal methods of control such as scaring are either ineffective or impracticable."
	A press notice was issued and the revised licences were immediately published on the Defra website. A copy of the press notice can be accessed via the following link: http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2005/050309c.htm.

Cross-compliance

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from what date cross-compliance will take effect; when the first payments will be made under the Single Farm Payment Scheme; if she will make interim payments; what other relief will be available to farmers who receive delayed payments; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: Cross-compliance requirements for the Single Payments Scheme (SPS) apply from 1 January 2005.
	The payment window for SPS runs from 1 December 2005 to 30 June 2006. The Rural Payments Agency's objective is to maximise the number of payments made early within that window or to help farmers affected by the timing this year. It must be borne in mind that this is a year of major change in the payments regime, that we are dependant on confirmation of points of detail and that the IT arrangements to underpin the new system are also new. It is important to make sure that our systems are robust.
	It should also be noted that farmers are likely to benefit from early payment in full, in future years. I am considering with my officials, what action can be taken to speed up payments this year or to help in other ways.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons negotiations on the application to opt out of phase one of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme have been linked with those on the National Allocation Plan.

Elliot Morley: The EU Commission has made clear that they will not consider an application for temporary exclusion without a complete list of installations to which the application applies. It was therefore necessary that each operator made a final decision on whether to be included in the list before the application is put to the Commission. In order to make this decision, the operators needed as complete information as possible as to the extent of their installations' allocations. These allocations were announced on 14 February. This is the link between the national Allocation Plan and the application for temporary exclusion for Climate Change Agreement holders.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she has taken to ensure that a complete and definitive list of those installations wishing to opt out of phase one of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme is available; who she has consulted in compiling such a list; and when she expects the list to be available.

Elliot Morley: Installation level allocations under the National Allocation Plan were announced on 14 February. Operators who are covered by the EU ETS and a Climate Change Agreement were asked to decide whether they wished to be included in the UK's application for temporary exclusion from EU ETS by 4 March. The resulting list is now being compiled and checked through sector associations and will form part of the UK's application. We expect the application to be made before Easter and the list will be published at that time. A list of operators, whose installations are included in the UK ETS as Direct Participants and for whom temporary exclusion has already been approved by the Commission, is available on the UK ETS website.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of the impact on the UK of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

Elliot Morley: Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIA) have been carried out throughout the implementation of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. These are available on the Defra website (see link below). A full, final RIA is currently being drawn up and will be published alongside the final allocation decision.
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechanqe/trading/eu/index.htm

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will press for the abolition of climate change agreements in Phase 1 of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 8 March 2005
	Climate Change Agreements are an important part of the UK's Climate Change Programme to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. They have proved very successful in improving energy efficiency in energy intensive industry, saving industry an estimated £450 million pa in energy costs. At the first target period, in 2002, the 44 sectors covered reduced their emissions of carbon dioxide by 16.4Mt. I have no plans to abolish them.

EU Export Refunds

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her Answer to Question 217200 tabled by the honourable Member for Rutland and Melton, if she will list the EU export refunds for each year from 1999 to 2003, broken down by commodity; and what assessment she has made of the reasons for the reduction between 2000 and 2001.

Alun Michael: The following table sets out EU export refunds for the budget years 1999 to 2003, broken down by commodity: Expenditure (€ million)
	
		
			  1999 2000 2001 2002 (7)2003 
		
		
			 Arable crops(6) 883.1 823.6 259.8 99.3 104.0 
			 Sugar 1,592.6 1 ,438.8 1,008.2 1,151.6 1,257.0 
			 Olive oil 2.5 0.2 0.2 0.1 — 
			 Dried fodder and dried vegetables 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Textile plants 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Fruit and vegetables 40.4 46.1 50.8 46.4 38.0 
			 Wine 27.4 21.5 22.5 23.8 25.0 
			 Tobacco 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Other sectors 30.5 38.4 38.7 41.1 — 
			 Milk and milk products 1,439.4 1,671.0 1,106.5 1,159.6 1,568.0 
			 Beef/veal 594.9 661.3 362.6 386.7 534.0 
			 Sheepmeat and goatmeat 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Pigmeat, eggs and poultrymeat 385.6 348.2 115.7 104.4 177.0 
			 Non-annex 1 products 576.4 572.2 435.6 413.8 — 
			 Food programmes 0.0 24.9 0.0 5.6 — 
			 Total 5,572.8 5,646.2 3,400.6 3,432.4 3,703.0 
		
	
	(6)Cereals and rice.
	(7)Data for 2003 refers to appropriations for commitments entered in the budget for 2003.
	Sources:
	Agriculture in the European Union" for 2000–03 and The Agricultural Situation in the European Union" for 1999.
	For most commodities both the unit value of export refunds and the volume of subsidised exports declined between marketing years 1999–2000 and 2000–01.
	Export refunds bridge the gap, for subsidised exports, between the high EU domestic prices and the lower world price. Expenditure on export refunds may vary for a number of reasons including, principally, conditions on world and domestic markets, changes in the €/$ rate of exchange and changes in the level of domestic institutional prices.
	Changes in domestic and world market conditions are specific to individual commodities and it is therefore difficult to generalise. However, the EU-world price gap narrowed for a number of important commodities around 2001, primarily due to an increase in world prices (thus reducing the unit rate of export refund required for subsidised exports). Changes in the exchange rate have an impact across commodities: the value of the euro against the dollar declined between 1999 and 2001 thereby reinforcing the affects of the trends in world prices, in euro terms. In addition, domestic institutional prices for cereals and beef were subject to a stepped reduction, starting from 2000, under the Agenda 2000 CAP reforms.
	It is significant to note that expenditure on export refunds remains highest in the sugar and dairy sectors where the UK is pressing for further reforms.

EU LIFE Directive

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which applications to her Department for funding under the EU LIFE Directive have been (a) successful, (b) unsuccessful and (c) received but are yet to be determined; and what grants were awarded to each successful project.

Elliot Morley: The LIFE Regulation was set up by Council Regulation 1973/92/EEC in July 1992, with effect until 31 December 1995. The regulation was continued into a second phase by the adoption on 15 July 1996 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1404/96, amending the previous regulation, with effect until 31 December 1999. A third phase, up to 31 December 2004, was begun on 17 July 2000 with the adoption of Regulation (EC) No. 1655/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council. On 14 September 2004 this regulation was extended until 31 December 2006.
	The current LIFE Programme has three strands: Environment, Nature and Third Countries. LIFE Environment supports demonstration and pilot projects on methods for the protection and enhancement of the environment with particular emphasis on innovative technologies and new approaches. LIFE Nature supports the implementation of EU nature conservation policy, particularly Natura 2000. Applications from the UK are submitted through Defra to the European Commission for competitive evaluation against those from other member states. LIFE Third Countries funds technical assistance activities for capacity building in non-EU countries bordering the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas which have signed association agreements with the European Union and, therefore, the UK does not submit applications to this strand.
	Since 1992, in the UK, LIFE has contributed over €100 million towards 122 innovative demonstration projects through LIFE Environment and 38 nature conservation projects through LIFE Nature.
	Co-financing varies from around 30 per cent., where income is generated, to 50 per cent. for LIFE Environment and up to 75 per cent. for some LIFENature projects. On average around 50 per cent. of project costs are co-financed, meaning that the programme has generated around €200 million worth of investment in environment actions.
	The current phase of LIFE (LIFE III) has, to date, supported 36 projects in the UK with €47 million of co-financing. Fourteen LIFE Nature projects secured €26.6 million and 22 LIFE Environment projects secured €20.4 million. Annexes 1 and 2, available in the Library of the House, list the projects supported under LIFE Environment and LIFE Nature respectively.
	The following table shows, for the UK, the number of applications, number co-financed and amount of co-financing by year for both LIFE Environment and LIFE Nature under the current LIFE III programme.
	
		
			  LIFE Environment LIFE Nature 
			  Number of applications Number Co-financed Total € million of co-financing Number of applications Number Co-financed Total € million of co-financing 
		
		
			 2000 No projects funded as regulation adopted too late in the year 
			 2001 34 3 1.8 10 6 10.5 
			 2002 16 6 5.6 11 4 10.2 
			 2003 18 (8)7 7.7 3 2 2.1 
			 2004 24 6 5.3 6 2 3.8 
			 Total 92 22 20.4 30 14 26.6 
		
	
	(8)Originally nine projects were selected but two projects withdrew before funding commenced.
	In the most recent call for projects to commence in 2005, the UK submitted 26 applications to LIFE Environment and three to LIFE Nature. The list of projects to be co-financed will be known in the summer.

Greenhouse Gases

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere relative to the increase in the concentration of other greenhouse gases has been over the last 30years; what proportion of radioactive forcing is estimated to have been due to increases in (a) carbon dioxide and (b) other greenhouse gases over the last 30 years; and what the estimated temperature rises are from each of these increases.

Elliot Morley: The increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, during the period 1970 to 2000 was approximately 13.5 per cent. During the same period methane increased by approximately 26 per cent. and nitrous oxide by 7 per cent.
	Of the radiative forcing due to man-made greenhouse gases experienced in the year 1970, about 65 per cent. was due to carbon dioxide, about 25 per cent. to methane, and about 5 per cent. to both nitrous oxide and the halocarbons. In 2000, about 60 per cent. of the radiative forcing from man-made gases was due to carbon dioxide, about 20 per cent. was due to methane, about 5 per cent. due to nitrous oxide, and the remainder due to halocarbons.
	Due to complexities in the climate response to greenhouse gases, there is no simple link between radiative forcing and temperature change. There has been a global temperature rise of 0.5c between pre-industrial times (1860) and 1990, and a further temperature rise of approximately 0.2c since 1990.

Milk Forum

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the membership is of (a) the Milk Forum and (b) its sub-committees.

Alun Michael: The Dairy Supply Chain Forum, established by my noble Friend, the Lord Whitty, in July 2002 to encourage supply chain co-operation, increase efficiency and promote the sustainable development of industry is represented by the following organisations:
	(a) Forum:
	Aria Foods UK, British Retail Consortium, Country Land and Business Association, Dairy Crest Ltd., Dairy Farmers of Britain, Dairy UK, Defra, First Milk, Food and Drink Federation, Forgefirst Ltd., Milk Development Council, Milk Link, National Farmers' Union, Provision Trade Federation, Robert Wiseman Dairies, Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers, and the Tenant Farmers Association,
	The Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department, Scottish Milk Forum and Welsh Assembly Government attend as observers.
	The Forum is chaired by my noble Friend Lord Whitty, with the secretariat provided by Defra.
	(b) Sub groups:
	Industry development sub group:
	Aria Foods UK, Dairy Crest Ltd., Dairy Farmers of Britain, Dairy UK, Defra, First Milk, Forgefirst Ltd., HSBC, Milk Development Council, Milk Link, National Farmers' Union, Nestle, Robert Wiseman Dairies, Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers, Tesco.
	The Sub-Group is chaired by Aria Foods with the secretariat provided by the National Farmers Union.
	CAP reform sub group:
	British Retail Consortium, Dairy Farmers of Britain, Dairy UK, Defra, First Milk, Milk Development Council, Milk Link, National Farmers' Union. Defra chair and provides the secretariat for the Sub-Group.
	Market innovations sub group:
	Steering group:
	British Cheese Board, Defra, Hindsight, Imperial College, Wye, Milk Development Council, OMSCo, Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers.
	Workshop:
	Alvis Brothers Limited, Aria Foods UK, Associated Creameries Co-operative, British Cheese Board, Cricketer Farms, Dairy Crest Ltd., Dairy UK, Defra, Delaval, Deloitte Consulting and Technology Ltd., Dohler UK, Food From Britain, Highgrove Foods, Imperial College London, International Food Network Ltd., Lynher Dairies, Midlands Co-Op, Milk Development Council, Milk Link, Reaseheath College, Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers, Safeway Stores plc, J Sainsbury plc, The Cheese Company, The Fifield Organisation, The Society of Dairy Technology, Waitrose, Welsh Development Agency, Yoplait Dairy Crest.
	The Milk Development Council chair and provide the secretariat for the Sub-Group and Workshop.

Departmental Costs

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was paid by her Department to external companies for (a) flowers and (b) plants in each of the last five years.

Alun Michael: In the Department's regional offices, costs of plants and flowers are included under the general umbrella of grounds maintenance" on the various facility management contracts that are in place, and are not separately identifiable. There has not been any specific planting schemes undertaken in the last five-years beyond simple replacement of dead stock under contract. In London headquarters offices there has been a trend towards the provision of artificial plants to save on ongoing maintenance costs. There are now only two locations where live plants remain with ongoing maintenance charges of £2,566 per annum since the contract commenced in April 2004.

Rendering

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under what circumstances A2 permits under the Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999 can be granted to rendering plants that have not obtained planning permission for their activities.

Elliot Morley: In accordance with regulation 10(4) of the Pollution Prevention and Control (England and Wales) Regulations 2000, as amended, the requirement for planning permission before an A2 permit is issued applies to specified waste management activities defined in regulation 2(1). Animal rendering plants as defined in Section 6.8 of Part I of Schedule 1 to these Regulations do not constitute a specified waste management activity within the terms of regulation 2(1).

Shooting Licences

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who was consulted by her Department prior to the publication of the orders varying the terms of a general shooting licence with respect to the shooting of pests.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 7 March 2005
	A pre-consultation exercise on the review of general licences to kill or take so-called pest species" of birds was undertaken in the summer of 2004. This pre-consultation, on a number of proposed changes to general licences, involved key interests and was also published on the Defra website.
	The pre-consultation document can be accessed via the following link:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/bird-licence/index.htm.
	The responses to the pre-consultation were carefully considered and further discussions took place between Defra officials and organisations representing shooting and conservation interests. On 9 March 2005 in order to clear up misunderstanding in relation to the obligation regarding appropriate non-lethal methods Defra amended the wording of the general licence condition to read, This licence can only be relied on in circumstances where the authorised person is satisfied that appropriate non-lethal methods of control such as scaring are either ineffective or impracticable."

Shooting Licences

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the amendments made to the open general licence for shooting of pest species.

Ben Bradshaw: Between 31 March and 14 July 2004 a pre-consultation exercise was undertaken by Defra on the review of general licences to kill or take so-called pest species' of birds. This pre-consultation, on a number of proposed changes to general licences, included reference to other satisfactory solutions, involved key interests and was also published on theDefra website. The pre-consultation document can be accessed via the following link: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/bird-licence/index.htm.
	The responses to the pre-consultation were carefully considered and further discussions took place between Defra officials and organisations representing shooting and conservation interests.
	On 10 February 2005 I announced the removal of the house sparrow and starling from general licences. This was supplemented at the time by a press release and a table of proposed changes to be made to general licences. This included reference to a condition regarding the use of non-lethal alternatives. The press release and table can be accessed via the following link: http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2005/050210a.htm.
	On 1 March 2005 the revised licences came into force.
	On 2 March 2005 Defra issued guidance to clarify the requirements regarding appropriate non-lethal methods. The information bulletin can be accessed via the following link: http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2005/050302d.htm.
	On 9 March 2005 in order to clear up misunderstanding in relation to the obligation regarding appropriate non-lethal methods Defra amended the wording of the general licence condition to read,
	This licence can only be relied on in circumstances where the authorised person is satisfied that appropriate non-lethal methods of control such as scaring are either ineffective or impracticable."
	A press notice was issued, which can be accessed via the following link: http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2005/050309c.htm.
	The revised licences can be accessed via the following link: http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/vertebrates/gen-licence.htm.

TREASURY

Tax Credits

Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of tax credits on family incomes in Warrington, North.

Dawn Primarolo: 8,600 in-work families in the Warrington, North constituency are benefiting from tax credits including 8,100 in-work families with children. Tax credits provide the most support to families on the lowest incomes and there are 4,000 in-work families with children in Warrington, north receiving more than the family element of child tax credit.
	For example for a family in full-time work with one child tax credits and child benefit would mean an extra £103 a week, which together with the national minimum wage would mean that that family is guaranteed an income of £252 a week.

Unemployment

Ben Chapman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on levels of unemployment in Wirral, South since 1997.

Paul Boateng: The Government have put in place a broad range of policy reform since our election in 1997 designed to reduce unemployment in all parts of the UK. Since these policies were implemented, claimant unemployment has fallen by 62 per cent. while long-term and long-term youth unemployment have fallen by over 90 per cent. in the Wirral, South constituency.

Education

James Plaskitt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on spending plans for education.

Paul Boateng: The Government regularly receives representations on spending plans for education.
	This Government are taking forward a programme of high investment in education and skills. From being £36billion in 1996–07, the education and skills budget for the UK stands at £63 billion in 2004–05, and is set to rise to £76 billion by 2007–08.

Government Staffing

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of central government staffing levels on the level of taxation.

Paul Boateng: No assessment has been made on the effect of central government staffing levels on levels of taxation. The Government have delivered sustained increases in public spending in order to deliver significant improvements in public services. As part of this, we expect to see an increase in the size of the front-line service delivery workforce—in particular for key public services like health, education and criminal justice.
	Administration cost limits set for Departments at the 2004 spending review will reduce central Government running costs as a proportion of total spending to a record low.

G7 Presidency

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on how he intends to further the millennium development goals at the G7 meetings to be held in April.

Stephen Timms: The conclusions on development, issued by G7 Finance Ministers following their February meeting, set out the G7 agenda of work on ways to accelerate progress towards the millennium development goals. We agreed that more needs to be done on debt relief based on our willingness to provide as much as 100 per cent. multilateral debt relief and that a substantial increase in oda is needed to meet the MDGs. We also agreed a work programme on the IFF, revenue proposals and other financing measures. Finally, we agreed that we must ensure that the Doha round of trade negotiations delivers substantial benefits to developing countries. We will discuss these issues again when we meet in April.

G7 Presidency

Malcolm Savidge: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the UK's presidency of the G7 and progress towards the millennium development goals.

Stephen Timms: We know already that in September of this year, the UN millennium declaration review summit will find that progress towards the internationally agreed millennium development goals is too slow. During our G7 presidency, the UK Government will seek agreement on increased aid volume through an international finance facility, the provision of 100 per cent. multilateral debt relief and progress towards a freer and fairer global trade system to accelerate progress towards the goals. The Government will also press for progress on developing vaccines for Malaria and HIV/AIDS.

Borrowing

Tim Boswell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the relationship between the level of taxation and levels of Government net borrowing.

Paul Boateng: The 2004 pre-Budget report set out the Treasury's latest projections for net borrowing and tax receipts.
	Projections will be updated in the Budget in the usual way.

Tax Compliance

Edward Leigh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Inland Revenue's revised compliance strategy and supporting performance measures, will be published; and what assessment he has made of consequent improvements in taxpayer compliance and tax yield.

Dawn Primarolo: Work on the Inland Revenue compliance strategy has been subsumed into work on a strategy for HM Revenue and Customs the new organisation that will integrate direct and indirect taxes. Public Sector Agreement targets for HMRC are available on the Inland Revenue website at http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/psa/ind05_08.htm.

Pre-owned Assets

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will issue final regulations and guidance notes on implementation of legislation on pre-owned assets.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the written statements which I made on 7 and 8 March 2005, Official Report, columns 99–100WS and 103–04WS respectively.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Capping Criteria

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1) when he will make a statement on the Government's criteria for capping for 2005–06;
	(2)  what the expected time scale and procedure for capping local authorities will be in 2005–06; and when he expects that any revised bills would be issued.

Nick Raynsford: No decisions on capping have been taken for 2005–06. My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister will take decisions on capping after authorities have set their budgets for 2005–06.

Car Parking

Christopher Chope: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will set out the terms of reference of the research study being carried out by his Department into car parking provision consistent with policies on sustainable residential environments; when the research project began; and when he expects it to be concluded.

Keith Hill: Consultants were commissioned in October 2003 to carry out this research study. The terms of reference are contained within the Specification of Requirements: Car Parking Standards and Sustainable Residential Environments", which has been made available in the Library of the House. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister plans to publish the research study in the summer.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average parish council precept in areas with parish councils in England is on band D bills for 2004–05.

Nick Raynsford: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her on 21 February 2005, Official Report, column 324W.

English Partnerships

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will require English Partnerships to ensure that social rented housing is included on the long-term derelict site chosen as part of its pilot hardcore brownfield programme.

Keith Hill: The purpose of the National Brownfield Strategy is to engage with local communities and businesses in the 14 local authorities taking part in the pilot programme to identify sites that are of greatest concern in those areas. All sites brought forward in this way will be assessed to understand the barriers to re-use of the sites and to identify development opportunities for both hard" (e.g. housing, employment) and soft" (e.g. public space, leisure) end uses.
	Once a shortlist of sites has been identified in each pilot project area, they will be evaluated and feasibility studies undertaken. In each case work will be led by a local brownfield partnership" with representatives from the local authority, English Partnerships, the Regional Development Agency, development industry and local business and community groups.
	The aims will be to develop at least one long-term brownfield site in each area with funding being acquired through private sector investment. It will be for the local brownfield partnership, in consultation, to agree the objectives for the sites within their areas which may or may not include an housing element.
	English Partnerships takes account of local strategies and consults the local authority and local community with regard to its projects including local housing need.

English Partnerships

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many social rented homes will be built on the East India Dock Road site acquired by English Partnerships under its London-wide initiative.

Keith Hill: The number of social rented homes built on the East India Dock site will be determined through the normal planning process. In addition, the site will provide affordable homes for sale to key workers and other first time buyers. The number of these will be the subject of discussions with the London borough of Tower Hamlets and other stakeholders. As part of this process, full account will be taken of local housing need.

English Partnerships

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which development and management partnership has been chosen for the East India Dock Road site acquired by English Partnerships under its London-wide initiative.

Keith Hill: No final decision has been made on which Development and Management Partner will work with the various stakeholders to take forward this site. Once a decision is made, all stakeholders, including the London borough of Tower Hamlets, will be informed to allow proposals to be worked up collaboratively.

English Partnerships

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the London borough of Tower Hamlets can require planning gain as a condition in relation to the properties for market sale to be built on the East India Dock Road site acquired by English Partnerships under its London-wide initiative.

Keith Hill: It is for the local planning authority to decide whether or not it would be appropriate to negotiate a planning obligation as part of this proposed development. Current policy guidance on the appropriate use of agreements made under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended by the Planning and Compensation Act 1991) is set out in DOE Circular 1/97. Revised draft guidance was issued for consultation in November 2004.

English Partnerships

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which three long-term derelict sites have been identified in Tower Hamlets for consideration under English Partnerships hardcore brownfield programme.

Keith Hill: At the present time, 7 March 2005, no sites have been identified for consideration under the National Brownfield Strategy. Tower Hamlets has been included along with 13 other local authorities to take part in a pilot programme aiming to tackle England's brownfield legacy.
	From the National Land Use Database 87 hectares of brownfield land has been identified (including nine hectares of hardcore land) within Tower Hamlets and the pilot study is expected to reveal additional sites.
	These will be taken forward as part of the pilot study as described in the answer given to my hon. Friend today UIN 220994.

Growth Areas

Phil Sawford: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what funding his Department has earmarked for growth areas to ensure that they have the resources required to meet the demands of a growing population.

Keith Hill: Through the growth areas fund, in the period 2003–08 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is making £840 million available in the Thames Gateway and £425 million for the newer growth areas. This funding will support a range of projects which will unlock development sites and ensure that new and expanding communities have the facilities that they need.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently consulting on three-year financial settlements for local government. As part of this process we are considering whether forward looking population data should be used to take account of planned housing growth.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is also providing more help to local authorities who are facing financial pressures as a result of rapid growth by abolishing the 'ceilings' from the financial year 2005–06.
	A number of other Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's funding streams are benefiting the growth agenda by providing funding for individual services and programmes in these areas. For example, between 2003–04 and 2005–06 local authorities in the four growth areas are estimated to receive a combined total of around £1.3 billion of housing investment. This includes the major repairs allowance, part of local authorities' housing revenue account subsidy entitlement for the capital costs of maintaining their housing stock in its present condition and to repay the capital element of housing debt. It excludes Gypsy sites funding. The Housing Corporation, sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, has allocated around £396 million to schemes within the growth areas as part of their approved development programme for 2004–05 to 2005–06.
	The local authorities in the growth areas have been allocated a combined total of over £8.6 million between 2003–04 and 2004–05 as part of the planning delivery grant (PDG) for their contributions to housing delivery. Provisional figures indicate that these LAs will receive a combined PDG allocation total of around £9.5 million for 2005–06.
	10 growth area local authorities are also benefiting from the neighbourhood renewal fund, with a combined allocation total of around £278 million from 2001–06. In addition six growth area local authorities have been allocated a combined total of around £314 million between 2000–01 and 2010–11 from the new deal for communities fund. Three local authorities within the growth areas are also receiving a combined total of over £10 million in funding allocated by the Department's liveability fund, from 2003–04 to 2005–06.
	Between 2004–05 to 2007–08 English Partnerships will be allocating around £600 million to a variety of schemes in the growth areas, including London.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister provides the majority of funding to the regional development agencies' (RDAs) single programme which is coordinated by the Department of Trade and Industry. The RDAs undertake activities that will contribute to delivering Government and regional economic priorities, including in the growth areas. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's contribution for the four RDAs whose regions include the growth areas, is estimated as £462.2 million 2004–05; £454.2 million 2005–06; £467.9 million 2006–07; and £478.6 million 2007–08.

London Safety Plan

John McDonnell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many responses were received to the public consultation exercise by the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority on the Draft London Safety Plan (a) supporting and (b) opposing the proposals in the Draft Plan.

Nick Raynsford: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 7 March 2005, Official Report, column 1550W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon (Mr.Dismore).

RAF Aston Down

David Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list representations he has received in the last 12 months regarding future (a) planning and (b) business uses of the former RAF Aston Down site.

Keith Hill: Due to the application of the Data Protection Act it is generally not possible for my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister to disclose the names and addresses of those who have written to him in connection with any matter. An exception to this is where the correspondence received is such that it would, in the ordinary course of events, be likely to be made publicly available. Representations submitted in connection with the merits of a registered planning application fall into this category. However, such representations are generally made direct to the Local Planning Authority (LPA) which is dealing with the application, and not to my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister.
	In this case, there are currently two planning applications registered with Stroud DC and Cotswolds DC, being the relevant LPAs for the site. My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has not received any representations from third parties on the merits of those applications. The Government office for the south-west has received other correspondence in connection with the current use of the site and the need for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in connection with the current planning applications. However, given the nature of this correspondence, it would be in breach of the Data Protection Act for us to supply the information requested by my hon. Friend.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Service Personnel

Nigel Evans: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what action the Electoral Commission is taking to ensure that all members of the armed services are able to vote in the forthcoming general election.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has undertaken a considerable amount of work in partnership with the Ministry of Defence to make those in the armed forces aware of the need to register to vote and how to do so, that the deadline for registration can be up to two months before an election, and in particular that the deadline for registration in time to vote in any election taking place on 5 May is 11 March. This work includes a publicity leaflet, of which over 110,000 copies have so far been ordered by the Ministry and other organisations. In addition, the Commission is providing information on its websites, and has been working with the British Forces Broadcasting Service and several services publications to generate coverage about this issue.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

CAMFED Projects

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding he has provided for CAMFED International projects in the last five years; and what funding he plans to provide for those projects.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: CAMFED is currently receiving DFID funding for two ongoing projects. Both projects were approved within the last five years, and are due for completion this year. These are:
	a project to address the widespread exclusion of rural girls from education in Ghana, which began in 2001 at a cost of £149,000.
	a project to promote a safe environment for girls in Zimbabwe, which also began in 2001 at a cost of £398,000.

Drug Treatments

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to expand the use of proven effective drug combinations for AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria treatment in developing countries.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The UK Government are committed to increasing access to medicines in developing countries, including drug treatment programmes for HIV and AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria. In recent years, there has been considerable progress in making medicines for the treatment of HIV and AIDS, TB and Malaria more affordable.
	The UK has worked with the pharmaceutical industry to encourage differential pricing that provides affordable medicines for developing country use. This includes recommendations agreed with industry on differential pricing from the UK Working Group on Increasing Access to Essential Medicines in Developing Countries in November 2002.
	The UK supports developing countries to make use of internationally agreed flexibilities in the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPs) agreement, that allow recourse to the use of generic versions of proprietary medicines where there is a public health need.
	The UK has pledged £259 million to the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM). 49 per cent. of GFATM grants go towards the procurement of drugs and commodities for AIDS, TB and malaria resulting in 130,00 people on HIV treatment, 385,000 treated for TB and 300,000 people treated with effective artemisinin containing treatments (ACTs) for malaria. Additional commitments for each of the three diseases are set out as follows:
	The HIV and AIDS Treatment and Care Policy, published in June 2004, sets out the UK's commitment to increasing access to HIV treatment in developing countries. The UK has provided £3 million to support the work of the World Health Organisation on HIV and AIDS, with a strong focus on its role supporting the target of 3 million people on treatment by 2005 (3 by 5). In total, the UK has committed to spend £1.5 billion on HIV and AIDS from 2005–07, a significant part of which will support increased access to treatment.
	The UK has provided £2 million to the Stop TB Partnership since 2002. The Partnership has established mechanisms, which support countries to access stable supplies of effective anti-TB medicines.
	DFID is the largest funder of the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) partnership, having contributed £48 million to date. The UK is working with RBM and other partners to secure greater international commitment for affordable pricing of ACTs. DFID Kenya has also recently awarded a start up grant of £35,000 to support increased cultivation of artemisia annua in Kenya. This is the key raw material for ACT production and is currently in short supply.
	Effective health systems are equally important if all medicines are to be delivered safely. The UK has committed over £1.5 billion since 1997 to help developing countries strengthen the health and supply systems. Increasing Access to Essential Medicines in Developing Countries: UK Policy and Plans', published in June 2004, gives further information on UK positions and activities in this crucial area.

Iraq

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance is being provided to the Iraqi Health Ministry for the provision of prosthetic limbs to Iraqi children injured in the conflict and subsequent insurgency.

Hilary Benn: Assistance to the Basra Prosthetics Centre has been provided by the Coalition Provisional Authority and by the UK military. They have funded the purchase, repair and delivery of prosthetic equipment. Repairs to the Centre's facilities are currently under consideration by the UK military under their Quick Impact Projects (QIPs). The Basra Prosthetics Centre provides a number of services including assessment, treatment and provision of lower limb prosthetics to Iraqis throughout Southern Iraq. It treats accident victims, disabled people, amputees including mine victims, and patients with cerebral palsy, polio and rheumatic conditions. It also provides physiotherapy to post-operative patients.
	The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) works to support amputees in Iraq, although their activities have been constrained by the security situation. The ICRC is supporting five orthopaedic centres in central and southern Iraq with components, spare parts, local purchases and maintenance machinery. DFID has committed a total of £16.5 million to the ICRC since March 2003 in support of their activities in Iraq. UNICEF is also involved in assisting Iraqi children in particularly vulnerable situations. This includes help for disabled children.
	DFID's broader support to the Iraqi health sector includes technical advice to the Ministry of Health, £5 million in assistance via the World Health Organisation (WHO) and part of our £70 million contribution to the multi-donor trust funds managed in line with Iraqi priorities by the United Nations and the World Bank. Additionally, DFID's Civil Society Fund for Iraq works to strengthen the capacity of Iraqi civil society organisations to better address the needs of poor and vulnerable groups, and includes support specifically focused on the needs of children.

Iraq

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to provide assistance to disabled children in Iraq, with particular reference to children disabled by recent military action.

Hilary Benn: DFID's support to the Iraqi health sector includes technical advice to the Ministry of Health, £5 million in assistance via the World Health Organisation (WHO) and part of our £70 million contribution to the multi-donor trust funds managed in line with Iraqi priorities by the United Nations and the World Bank. Additionally, DFID's Civil Society Fund for Iraq works to strengthen the capacity of Iraqi civil society organisations to better address the needs of poor and vulnerable groups, and includes support specifically focused on the needs of children.
	The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been working to support amputees in Iraq, although their activities have been constrained by the security situation. The ICRC is supporting five orthopaedic centres in central and southern Iraq with components, spare parts, local purchases and maintenance machinery. DFID has committed a total of £16.5 million to the ICRC since March 2003 in support of their activities in Iraq.
	UNICEF is also working to assist Iraqi children in particularly vulnerable situations. This includes help for disabled children.

Palestine

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps to bring together representatives of countries prepared to help a new Palestinian state to discuss a co-ordinated aid programme.

Hilary Benn: One of the outcomes of the recent London Meeting on Supporting the Palestinian Authority (PA) was a commitment by the international community to more streamlined donor co-ordination and support. DFID will play a full part in strengthening donor co-ordination, including the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee. Follow up to the Meeting includes the establishment of a new Working Group on security, and it is anticipated that the World Bank and the PA will jointly convene a donor Consultative Group in the summer.

Relief Initiatives (HIPC)

Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures he is taking to address poverty in heavily indebted poor countries in conflict.

Hilary Benn: There are seven countries affected by conflict that could potentially qualify for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. Last year, the UK was at the forefront of efforts to extend the Sunset Clause of the HIPC Initiative beyond December 2004, thus extending the initiative for a further two years. This could allow these remaining conflict affected HIPC countries to benefit from HIPC debt relief, once they have met the criteria required to qualify. In addition, the UK has announced that it will hold in trust any debt service payments received from these countries and this money will be returned for spending on poverty reduction once they qualify for the initiative.
	In January 2005, DFID set out in its publication Why we need to work more effectively in fragile states," how it will tackle the challenges of poverty in difficult environments. This included reviewing the way aid is allocated to fragile states; joining with other Government Departments to ensure our policies are coherent; doing more regional programming; getting the balance right between humanitarian and development aid and staying engaged over a longer timeframe (five to 10 years). Copies of this publication have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. It can also be accessed at http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs.
	DFID is actively involved in supporting conflict resolution initiatives, through among other things the Global and Africa Conflict Prevention Pools, as well as delivering humanitarian aid in conflict situations. DFID is funding operations as well as building the capacity of organisations working on reducing conflict in conflict affected countries, including the United Nations, the European Union, the World Bank and the African Union and several Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). DFID is directly supporting programmes that address insecurity—a barrier to poverty reduction—through our Security Sector Reforms and Small Arms Strategies, and support to Disarming, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programmes in conflict affected countries.

Relief Initiatives (HIPC)

Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he plans to use the UK's presidency of the EU to press for 70 per cent. of the EU's aid budget to be given to low income countries.

Hilary Benn: DFID has a Public Service Agreement target of increasing the proportion of EC Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) to low-income countries from its 2000 baseline of 38 per cent., to 70 percent. by 2008. By 2003, the figure had reached 56 per cent.
	It is not clear if any major decisions related to allocation of EC ODA will need to be taken during the UK Presidency. But we will work with our partners, this year and beyond, to ensure that the EU provides the leadership and the quantity and quality of aid needed to tackle global poverty. This includes increasing the amount of EC aid committed to and spent in low-income countries.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the dispersal powers under section 30 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 have been used.

Hazel Blears: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 31 January 2005, Official Report, column 690W.

Asylum Seekers

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Iranian citizens are in the UK after having been refused asylum.

Des Browne: holding answer 8 March 2005
	Information on numbers of Iranian citizens in the UK after having been refused asylum is not currently available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost. Some individuals refused asylum may have been granted humanitarian protection or discretionary leave following initial decision or appeal outcomes. Some of those refused asylum are awaiting appeal outcomes and may subsequently be granted asylum or other temporary leave to remain, while some may have departed voluntarily without notifying the authorities.
	E-borders and ID cards will enable us to monitor this more precisely in the future.

Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department when he expects to respondto the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 20 December 2004, reference M130/5.

Des Browne: holding answer 24 February 2005
	I wrote to the hon. Member on 9 March.

Hunting

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reports he has received of actions by hunt supporters against those who support the ban; and what guidance he has issued to police forces on enforcement of the ban.

Hazel Blears: There have been several incidents reported to the police involving both hunt supporters and those who support the ban on hunting with dogs since the Hunting Act came into force on 18 February but most events have passed off peacefully. The Home Office has not issued guidance to police forces on enforcement of the Hunting Act. However, the Association of Chief Police Officers have published strategic and tactical guidance.

Burglary (Hartlepool)

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many burglaries were committed in Hartlepool in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: The available information relates to the Hartlepool Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area and is given in the tables. Statistics at CDRP level are only available from 1999–2000 onwards and only burglary in a dwelling figures are available for 1999–2000 to 2001–02.
	
		Table 1: Offences of burglary recorded by the police in the Hartlepool Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership area, 1999–2000 to 2001–02 -- Number of offences
		
			  Burglary in a dwelling Burglary other Total burglary 
		
		
			 1999–2000 1,484 n/a n/a 
			 2000–01 1,409 n/a n/a 
			 2001–02 1,294 n/a n/a 
		
	
	Note:
	The data in this table are prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.
	
		Table 2: Offences of burglary recorded by the police in the Hartlepool Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership area, 2002–03 and 2003–04 -- Number of offences
		
			  Burglary in a dwelling Burglary other Total burglary 
		
		
			 2002/03 1,488 1,230 2,718 
			 2003/04 1,276 1,195 2,471 
		
	
	Note:
	The data in this table takes account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.

Mental Health (Lancashire)

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures Lancashire police follow for dealing with people in custody who have mental health problems.

Hazel Blears: The question relates to operational issues for the Lancashire constabulary which are matters for the chief officer. I have asked the chief officer to respond directly to my hon. Friend. I have also asked the chief officer to forward a copy of the response to my Department and I will arrange to place a copy in the Library.

Overseas Students

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the proposal to abolish the right of appeal against refusal of leave to enter the UK to study will be put into practice.

Des Browne: On 7 February, we published our five year strategy for asylum and immigration, Controlling our borders: Making migration work for Britain (Cm6472). The strategy states (paragraph 33) that we will legislate to abolish appeals for work and study routes for those refused an entry clearance overseas and those refused entry at a UK port or airport. This will require primary legislation. As my hon. Friend will be aware, the Government sets out their legislative programme each year in the Queen's Speech.

Police/Crime Statistics (Durham)

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police there were in North Durham in (a) 2001 and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available

Hazel Blears: Police strength by basic command unit has only been collected centrally since 31 March 2002. The North Durham area is made up of three basic command units. The available information for North Durham is given in the following table.
	
		
			  As at 31 March: 
			 North Durham Basic Command Units 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Derwentside 173 181 172 
			 Chester-le Street/Durham 244 249 242 
			 Easington 201 209 200 
			 Total North Durham 618 639 614

Police

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police stations within the Greater London area have been (a) opened and (b) closed in each of the last three years.

Hazel Blears: Decisions about police station openings and closure are operational matters and are made locally.

Prisons (Drug Testing)

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of prisoners have tested positive under the mandatory drug testing programme for (a) an illegal substance, (b) heroin, (c) cocaine, (d) ecstasy, (e) LSD and (f) cannabis in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many prison inmates have been subject to mandatory drug testing in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The total number of samples tested under the mandatory drug testing programme in the last five years and the numbers and proportions that have tested positive for all drugs, opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and cannabis are given in the following table.
	
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Number tested(9) 87,660 88,478 83,407 78,967 83,640 
			 Number positive 17,892 16,802 14,370 12,882 14,644 
			 Percentage positive 20.4 19.0 17.2 16.3 17.5 
			 Opiates2  
			 Number positive 6,904 7,941 6,962 4,704 4,406 
			 Percentage positive 7.9 9.0 8.4 6.0 5.3 
			 Cocaine  
			 Number positive 407 472 440 386 382 
			 Percentage positive 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 
			 Amphetamines3  
			 Number positive 121 88 83 63 106 
			 Percentage positive 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 LSD  
			 Number positive 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Percentage positive 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Cannabis  
			 Number positive 12,009 9,452 7,644 8,195 10,157 
			 Percentage positive 13.7 10.7 9.2 10.4 12.1 
		
	
	(9) Some prisoners may have been tested more than once in any financial year.
	(10) Opiates include heroin
	(11) Amphetamines include ecstasy

Special Constables

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his Department's policy to pay special constables; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Allowance schemes for Special Constables are in operation in four forces. These schemes are subject to evaluation to assess the impact of paying an allowance on the recruitment and retention of Specials and also the number of hours specials are prepared to offer for police duties. We have no plan to change the voluntary status of the Special Constabulary.

West Mercia Police

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the length of employment of each Chief Superintendent in the West Mercia Police Constabulary is;
	(2)  what the salary is of (a) the West Mercia Police Chief Constable and (b) each West Mercia Police Chief Superintendent.

Hazel Blears: There are ten chief superintendents in West Mercia Constabulary. As of 1 February 2004, their lengths of employment are as follows.
	19 years and 1 month;
	19 years and 3 months;
	21 years and 4 months;
	23 years and 5 months;
	24 years and 9 months;
	25 years and 4 months;
	26 years and 4 months;
	27 years and 5 months;
	28 years and 5 months;
	29 years and 1 month.
	Three officers are on the first point of the chief superintendents' salary scale at £63,345, one officer is at the second point of the scale at £65,145 and six officers are at the third point of the scale and receive a salary of £66,951.
	The chief constable of West Mercia receives a salary of £121,071.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts Council England

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many full-time equivalent staff were employed by the Arts Council England in each year between 1997–98 and 2003–04; and if she will make a statement.

Estelle Morris: The following figures supplied by Arts Council England provide a breakdown of the average number of staff employed, 1997–98—2003–04.
	
		
			  Average number of staff Average number of staff (including creative partnerships programme) 
		
		
			 1997–98 654 654 
			 1998–99 673 673 
			 1999–2000 644 644 
			 2000–01 665 665 
			 2001–02 690 690 
			 2002–03 679 698 
			 2003–04 642 707

Arts Council England

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the (a) technical and financial contracts, (b) technical consultants used on a call-off basis and (c) financial consultants used on a call-off basis by the Arts Council England for each year from 1997–98 to 2003–04; what the nature of the assignment for each consultant was; and what the value of work done by each consultant was.

Estelle Morris: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Arts Council England

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the administration costs of the Arts Council England were in each year between 1997–98 and 2003–04, broken down by (a) staff costs and (b) non-staff costs; and if she will make a statement.

Estelle Morris: The following figures provided by Arts Council England provide a breakdown of the information requested.
	
		£
		
			  Staff costs Staff costs (including creative partnerships programme) Non staff costs(12) 
		
		
			 1997–98 15,774,030 15,774,030 21,310,051 
			 1998–99 16,646,015 16,646,015 20,155,506 
			 1999–2000 17,472,477 17,472,477 20,263,578 
			 2000–01 20,273,618 20,273,618 20,328,583 
			 2001–02 21,517,000 21,517,000 21,140,000 
			 2002–03 23,418,000 24,578,000 21,974,000 
			 2003–04 22,356,000 25,061,000 19,909,000 
		
	
	
		£
		
			  Non staff costs(12) (including creative partnerships programme) Total administration costs Total administration costs (including creative partnerships programme) 
		
		
			 1997–98 21,310,051 37,084,081 37,084,081 
			 1998–99 20,155,506 36,801,521 36,801,521 
			 1999–2000 20,263,578 37,736,055 37,736,055 
			 2000–01 20,328,583 40,602,201 40,602,201 
			 2001–02 21,140,000 42,657,000 42,657,000 
			 2002–03 22,818,000 45,392,000 47,396,000 
			 2003–04 21,725,000 42,265,000 46,786,000 
		
	
	(12) Note that 1997–98 to 2000–01 figures have been adjusted to remove inter-company transactions with the Regional Arts Boards to prevent double counting of costs. Exceptional items have been excluded.

Surplus Assets Sales

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department sold surplus stock on the e-Bay auction website in each year since 2000–01.

Richard Caborn: DCMS has not used the e-Bay auction website.

Surplus Assets Sales

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the value of sales of surplus assets from her Department was in each year since 2000–01.

Richard Caborn: The value of sales of assets are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2001–02 5,000,000 
			 2002–03 0 
			 2003–04 232,000 
			 2004–05 2,643,000

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Alcohol

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with the Office of Fair Trading on minimum pricing as a means of tackling alcohol misuse.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In the context of considering the options for tackling problems associated with excessive consumption of alcohol, both the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and my Department have provided advice to the Home Office on relevant aspects of domestic and European competition law. OFT and DTI officials have been involved in a number of relevant discussions, including on the particular issue of minimum pricing schemes. The Home Office's proposals on these matters were also raised briefly during a regular meeting between the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and the Board of the OFT that took place in mid-January The Home Office launched its public consultation document Drinking Responsibly" on 25 January 2005

Call Centres

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the estimated number of people employed in call centres in the UK is; and what percentage of the work force that figure represents.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 7 March 2005
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has recently begun to publish statistics for the number of jobs in enterprises whose main activity falls within Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 74.86 (call centre activities). The number of jobs in SIC 74.86 is estimated as 20,000, averaged over 2003, approximately 0.07 per cent. of total work force jobs. Some call centre activity takes place within enterprises whose main activity is classified to other sectors e.g. financial services. The DTI study on the UK Call Centre Industry, published in May 2004, quoted an unofficial estimate of 790,000 jobs based on this wider definition.

Economic Partnership Agreements

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industrywhat steps she is taking to ensure that economic partnership agreement are being negotiated in such a way as to benefit developing countries.

Mike O'Brien: The Government warmly welcome the recent statements by the EU Trade Commissioner on the importance that he places on ensuring that the development needs of ACP countries are put at the heart of negotiations on economic partnership agreements. Ministers and officials are in regular contact with their counterparts in the European Commission and ACP Governments to discuss how the EPA negotiations are being taken forward to benefit developing countries. The Government are undertaking research on key issues to inform these negotiations and will share the outcome of this research with the European Commission and ACP Governments.

Economic Partnership Agreements

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she is taking to ensure the economic partnership agreements between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries give appropriate priority to development in those countries; and what representations she has made to the European Commission on the subject.

Douglas Alexander: As set out in the White Paper Making Globalisation a force for good", the Government are clear that the focus of the economic partnership agreements must broad-based, focusing not just on trade but also on political co-operation, technical assistance and trade-related capacity building, and be truly development-focused. The EU has stated that it has no offensive market access interests in negotiating economic partnership agreements, and the UK will seek to hold our EU partners to this. Ministers and officials are in regular contact with the Commission to discuss various aspects of the agreements and we are commissioning research into aspects of the negotiations to inform the policies of the European Commission and ACP countries.

Economic Partnership Agreements

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the appropriate level of regional integration which African, Caribbean and Pacific countries should reach before committing to economic partnership agreements with the EU; and what representations she has made to the European Commission on the subject.

Douglas Alexander: The Government warmly welcome the recent statements by the EU Trade Commissioner on the importance that he places on ensuring that the development needs of ACP countries are put at the heart of negotiations on economic partnership agreements. This includes enhancing existing regional integration initiatives, by building regional markets among developing countries, and strengthening regional producers. Before economic partnership agreements come into force, each region will need to have agreed a common external tariff, a timetable for removing the tariff barriers between members of the regional economic grouping and a process for harmonising regional trade-related rules. Negotiations are at an early stage; however, Ministers and officials are in regular contact with the European Commission on a number of issues.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme on the competitiveness of British industry in comparison to its European competitors.

Mike O'Brien: The Department published in 2004 an assessment of the implications of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) for the competitiveness of British industry. The paper is available at: www.dti.gov.uk/energy/sepn/euetsimplications.pdf.
	The Department also commissioned Ilex Energy Consulting in 2004 to produce a report on the impact on electricity prices across EU countries as a result of the ETS. This report is a available at: www.dti.gov.uk/energy/sepn/ilexetsfinal.pdf.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Department expects to reach an agreement with the European Commission on first phase exemption from EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

Elliot Morley: I have been asked to reply.
	We expect the UK's application for temporary exclusion from the EU ETS for installations covered by Climate Change Agreements to be made before Easter. We will then await the Commission's response and consideration by the Comitology Committee.

Energy Policy

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much funding, and in what form, is being provided by the Government to assist trade associations and other industry representative bodies in addressing barriers to distributed generation, in pursuit of the goal to achieve 10 per cent. of electricity and 10gW of combined heat and power to be supplied by renewable sources.

Mike O'Brien: During 2004–05 the DTI expects to provide some £280,000 of direct support to trade associations and similar bodies to help in providing representation on various industry forums dealing with distributed generation-related issues, including renewables and combined heat and power. In addition the DTI expects to expend some £1.7 million during 2004–05 on specific projects aimed at the removal of barriers to the development of distributed generation or its impact on the electricity networks.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the EC-Argentina RTD Co-operation Steering Committee met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The last Joint S and T Committee meeting with Argentina was held in Brussels on 15 November 2002. The next meeting is planned for the second half of 2005. These meetings are convened by the Commission and member states are not invited to participate—UK officials will not therefore attend.

Fuel Poverty

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent progress has been made towards reducing fuel poverty in the west midlands.

Mike O'Brien: The number of fuel poor households in the west midlands fell from over 500,000 in 1996 to around 200,000 in 2001. This mirrors the overall fall in the number of fuel poor households in the UK, a figure which has fallen from about 5½ million in 1996 to about 2¼ million in 2002. Regional breakdowns are not available for 2002.

Minimum Wage

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has for (a) amendments to and (b) elimination of the development rate of the minimum wage.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government continues to believe that the development rate of the minimum wage is necessary to help protect the employment prospects of young workers. As the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Hewitt) said in her written statement to Parliament on 25 February 2005, Official Report, column 71WS, the Government have accepted the Low Pay Commission's recommendation in their 2005 Report that the development rate should be increased to £4.25 an hour in October 2005.
	However we have not accepted the Commission's recommendation that 21 year-old workers should be moved onto the adult rate, because the economic evidence on this point remains mixed. We therefore intend to make no change in 2005 but to look carefully at this issue in the future.

Minimum Wage

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will require the prevailing rate of the national minimum wage to be printed on pay slips.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The question has been considered but rejected because it would add considerable costs for business.

Minimum Wage

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action her Department is taking to reduce the number of employers who consistently refuse to pay the minimum wage.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In their latest report, the Low Pay Commission said that the vast majority of employers support and comply with the minimum wage. However we recognise that a small minority of employers are not paying their workers the minimum wage. We are presently considering a number of options for improving enforcement and intend to make a statement on this in early summer.

National Radiological Protection Board Report

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the National Radiological Protection Board Report W62;
	(2)  if she will instigate a formal measurement audit of the 2,000 base stations omitted from National Radiological Protection Board Report W62.

Mike O'Brien: The project Exposure of the General Public to Radio Waves near Microcell and Picocell Base Stations ... " was carried out under the auspices of the LINK Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme (MTHR) Programme (see www.mthr.org.uk). The project was designed to establish the best methodology for undertaking such measurements and was not a part of a national measurement audit. The project considered those sites with the accepted characteristics of microcell and picocell base stations. Of the 3,000 sites that fall into this category, 20 sites were randomly selected for survey. The study found that exposures at all sites surveyed werewell below the International Commission for Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) levels (the highest level recorded was 8.6 per cent. of the ICNIRP public reference level). The study demonstrated a viable measurement protocol.
	The DTI have no plans to instigate a formal measurement audit of micro and picocell base stations. Microcell and picocell installations may be measured under the Ofcom measurement audit programme see: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consumer_guides/mob_phone_ base_stat/audit_info?a=87101.

Parliamentary Questions

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will reply to question reference 214199, tabled for answer on 3 February 2005.

Patricia Hewitt: Question 214199 has been transferred to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Post Offices

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria have been used to define (a) urban and (b) rural sub-post offices.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The classification of a post office branch as urban or rural is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). My officials have asked POL to issue a direct reply to the hon. Member.

Post Offices

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  if she will ask Post Office Ltd. to reconsider its decision to close the sub-post offices in (a) Hurcott road, Kidderminster, Wyre Forest, (b) Sutton road, Kidderminster, Wyre Forest, (c) Calder Road, Stourport, Wyre Forest, (d) Lister road, Kidderminster, Wyre Forest, (e) Belmont, Stonecot Hill, Oldfields road, Ewell road, Angel Hill and Church Hill road in Sutton and Cheam and (f) Furnace Fields in Pine Tree road, Bedworth;
	(2)  if she will ask Post Office Ltd. to reconsider its decision to close (a) five post offices in north-west Leeds, (b) seven post offices in Harrow, (c) the sub-post office at (i) Aldershot road and (ii) Madrid road, Guildford, (d) six post offices in Weymouth, (e) Tildesley road post office on the Ashburton estate in Putney, (f) three post offices in Pudsey and (g) five post offices in Worcester;
	(3)  if she will ask Post Office Ltd. to reconsider its decision to close the sub-post offices at (a) Clifton road, Maida Vale, London, (b) Formosa street, London, (c) Sutherland avenue, London, (d) Furnace Fields, Bedworth, (e) Clifton street, South Swindon, (f) Oxford road, North Swindon, (g) Ferndale, North Swindon, (h) Duffield Road, Derby, (i) Duffield road, Darley, Abbey, Derby, (j) Nottingham Road, Spondon, Derby, (k) Rooseveldt avenue, Chaddesden, Derby, (l) St. Barnabas, Stables street, Mackworth, Derby, (m) Scarborough Rise, Derwent Heights, Derby, (n) Uttoxter Old road, Mackworth, Derby, (o) Fulham Palace road, London, (p) Brackenbury road, London and (q) Dukes Avenue, Richmond, London.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Decisions on post office closures and relocations are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. In accordance with the Code of Practice on Post Office Closures and Relocations—agreed between Post Office Ltd. and Postwatch, the consumer watchdog for postal services—the company enters into consultation on all proposed closures. Postwatch are consulted on every post office closure before a decision is made and there is every opportunity for those affected by a proposal, and the local MP, to make representations to the company or to Postwatch.

Vehicle Pricing

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 10 February 2005, Official Report, columns 1801–02W, on vehicle pricing, what steps she is taking to encourage competition in the car industry as a means of bringing prices of new cars in line with the EU.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I am not aware of any pressing need to take further steps to encourage more competition in the car industry at present.
	It is too soon for the competition authorities to be able to assess the full effects of the recent changes to competition rules as they apply specifically to this sector. The location clause" of the revised block exemption regulation which will permit car retailers to open additional sales outlets in any part of the EU does not come into force until 1 October this year. It is for car manufacturers to ensure that their agreements with franchised dealers do not contain restrictions of the type outlawed under competition law, and for the competition authorities to enforce the regime.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

A2-levels

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many entrants graded A and B at A2 level in (a) mathematics, (b) chemistry and (c) physics were from (i) independent, (ii) grammar and (iii) maintained schools in (A) 2003 and (B) 2004; and what percentage of each cohort this was in each case.

Stephen Twigg: The information requested on the number of 16–18 year old students achieving As or Bs in mathematics, chemistry and physics by school type is given in the following table:
	
		
			  2003 2004 
			  Independent Grammar Comprehensive Independent Grammar Comprehensive 
		
		
			 Number achieving A/B in chemistry 5,688 2,666 5,211 6,030 2,872 5,475 
			 As a percentage of:   
			 Chemistry candidates 73.1 62.8 42.7 73.7 65.2 43.7 
			 Total candidates 16.0 14.0 5.0 16.6 14.7 5.1 
			
			 Number achieving A/B in physics 4,179 2,079 4,278 4,095 2,040 3,936 
			 As a percentage of:   
			 Physics candidates 68.0 58.8 38.3 67.7 61.7 38.5 
			 Total candidates 11.8 10.9 4.1 11.3 10.4 3.7 
			 Number achieving A/B in mathematics 8,054 3,725 8,608 8,527 3,979 9,084 
			 As a percentage of:   
			 Mathematics candidates 76.6 67.6 48.9 78.3 69.7 50.2 
			 Total candidates 22.7 19.6 8.3 23.5 20.3 8.5

A2-levels

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many entrants graded A and B at A2 level in (a) French, (b) German and (c) Spanish were from (i)independent, (ii) grammar and (iii) maintained schools in (A) 2003 and (B) 2004; and what percentage of eachcohort this was in each case.

Stephen Twigg: The information requested on the number of 16–18 year old students achieving As or Bs in French, German and Spanish by school type is given in the following table.
	
		
			  2003 2004 
			  Independent Grammar Comprehensive Independent Grammar Comprehensive 
		
		
			 Number achieving A/B in French 3,060 1,043 2,127 2,989 1,075 2,145 
			 As a percentage of: 73.7 63.2 46.3 74.9 67.6 47.9 
			 French candidates   
			 Total candidates 8.6 5.5 2.0 8.2 5.5 2.0 
			
			 Number achieving A/B in German 1,285 474 1,054 1,181 527 950 
			 As a percentage of:   
			 German candidates 77.2 56.8 43.8 77.6 64.4 43.7 
			 Total candidates 3.6 2.5 1.0 3.3 2.7 0.9 
			
			 Number achieving A/B in Spanish 1,369 241 602 1,388 330 640 
			 As a percentage of:   
			 Spanish candidates 78.1 55.9 47.2 78.2 65.0 48.4 
			 Total candidates 3.9 1.3 0.6 3.8 1.7 0.6

Capital Funding

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what capital funding has been made available to (a) Dartford primary and secondary schools and (b) schools in the Kent local education authority area in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement on the Government's capital funding plans for Kent schools in the next five to 10 years.

Stephen Twigg: The table sets out the total capital resources allocated to Kent local education authority and schools in area in each of the last five years. Information on how capital funding was made to primary and secondary schools in the Dartford area in this period is not held centrally. Decisions on how resources should be invested in schools are taken by the local education authority in accordance with locally prepared asset management plans.
	Government's capital funding plans for Kent schools in the next five to 10 years will depend on the outcome of future spending reviews. Kent LEA is in wave three of the Building Schools for the Future programme, with an estimated commencement date of 2007–08.
	
		
			  Allocation (£000) 
		
		
			 2000–01 63,044 
			 2001–02 48,222 
			 2002–03 72,951 
			 2003–04 92,848 
			 2004–05 181,101

Correspondence

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she expects to reply to the letters from the constituent of the hon. Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, Richard Carter, dated 29 January and earlier.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 9 March 2005
	A full response was sent yesterday to my hon. Friend's constituent.

Regional Bodies

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what regional (a) bodies, (b) institutions, (c) taskforces, (d) panels, (e) offices and (f) organisations the Government have established since May 1997 which are the responsibility of her Department.

Ivan Lewis: Since May 1997 the Government have established the following regional bodies which are the responsibility of the Department for Education and Skills:
	Nine Sure Start/Children's Fund Regional Teams introduced into existing Government Offices to support, monitor and challenge local authorities and their partners to deliver the Sure Start agenda, in particular the 10-Year Childcare Strategy; and nine Standards Unit Regional Directors co-located within the Learning and Skills Development Agency. They work in collaboration with partner organisations and colleagues to ensure that the work of the Standards Unit supports all learning organisations to overcome barriers to effective teaching and learning and raise standards, develop their workforce and achieve excellence and improve success for all post 16 year old learners.

Regional Bodies

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which (a) non-departmental public bodies and (b) executive agencies within the remit of her Department have regional offices based on the Government Offices for the Regions' regional structure; and when the regional offices were established in each case.

Ivan Lewis: On 7 January 2004 the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) announced a new regional management structure to help drive forward its work in the regions and develop relationships at a regional level. This has allowed for a more streamlined and effective management structure that avoids additional bureaucracy, and delivers the LSC's agenda with fewer staff overall. Except in London, each LSC Regional Director also has responsibility for a specific local LSC within their region, and the region itself maps on to the same geographical areas as those covered by the relevant Government Office for the Region.

Replacement Secondary Schools

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the time that local education authorities and promoters will need to plan and implement proposals for replacement secondary schools resulting from the proposal in the Education Bill to include replacement secondary schools in the secondary school competition arrangements; and what assessment she has made of whether there will be an increase in pressures on staff, parents and pupils subject to the competition procedures while undergoing school reorganisation.

Derek Twigg: Competitions for replacement secondary schools will take place only where the local authority decides that statutory proposals for a new secondary school are necessary. The time scale will therefore be the same as for any other reorganisation, with the addition of four months for prospective promoters to prepare their bids. We would expect the local authority to take this into account in planning future reorganisations and discussing them with schools.
	Since competitions will take place only where proposals for new schools would be required in any case, there should be no increased pressure on staff, parents and pupils. The competition requirement, and increased time for preparation of possible alternative options and provision for people to comment on those proposals, will together give greater opportunities for staff, pupils and parents to have a say about the type of school that they believe will best meet local needs.

Retirement Awards

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what (a) award schemes and (b) other forms of official recognition are available in respect of retiring teachers who have completed exceptionally long periods of service to the teaching profession; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: holding answer 9 March 2005
	There are no specific award schemes for retiring teachers who have completed exceptionally long periods of service. However, all teachers are sent a letter of thanks and recognition from the Secretary of State at the time of their retirement.
	In addition, the televised Teaching Awards ceremony, which celebrates excellence in teaching, and the Honours system provide opportunities for individual achievement to receive formal recognition. At a local level, employers and school communities do regularly recognise long and dedicated service of teachers at retirement functions.

Teachers (Student Loans)

Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to continue the pilot scheme to repay the students loans for teachers under the Secondary Shortage Subject Scheme.

Stephen Twigg: We are currently considering whether or not to extend the pilot Repayment of Teachers' Loans Scheme and expect to announce a decision in the coming weeks. The Secondary Shortage Subject Scheme is an entirely separate scheme which is essentially a hardship fund for undergraduate trainee teachers.

Teaching and Administrative Staff

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will estimate how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in (a) schools and other institutions of non-advanced further education and (b) the administration of education by local authorities and further education colleges; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: holding answer 9 March 2005
	In January 2004, the latest information available, there were 670,800 full-time equivalent staff employed in maintained schools in England consisting of 427,700 full-time equivalent regular teachers and 243,100 teaching assistants and other support staff. In 2002/03 there were 74,500 full-time equivalent teaching staff employed in further education sector colleges. In the same year there were 56,400 full time equivalent support staff employed by further education sector colleges. This figure includes administrative staff as well those involved in other non-teaching roles such as building maintenance, cleaning and security. It is not possible to separate the administration staff from the overall total.
	Information on the number of non-school based administration staff employed by local education authorities is not collected centrally.

Tuition Fees

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her latest estimate is of the total amount that has been paid by students in tuition fees since their introduction.

Kim Howells: Students on full-time undergraduate courses and their families are expected to make a contribution towards the cost of their tuition only if they can afford to do so.
	The amount of private contributions to tuition fees by students from England, Wales, and the European Union from 1999/2000 to 2004/05 is given in the table.
	
		Private contributions to tuition fees by students domiciled in England, Wales, or the European Union for academic years 1999/2000(13) to 2004/05
		
			 Academic year £ million 
		
		
			 1999/2000 199.2 
			 2000/01 309.2 
			 2001/02 373.3 
			 2002/03 403.1 
			 2003/04 420.1 
			 2004/05(14) 427.0 
		
	
	(13) Tuition fees were introduced in academic year 1998/99, however as that year was treated as a transitional year, data are not available on the same basis as subsequent years.
	(14) Provisional (as at 7 March 2005).
	Source:
	Student Loans Company

HEALTH

Alcohol-related Deaths

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action the Government are taking to reduce the number of deaths for which alcohol is the primary cause.

Melanie Johnson: The policies set out in the alcohol harm reduction strategy for England seek to reduce harm caused by alcohol, thus, contributing to a reduction in the number of deaths for which alcohol is the primary cause.
	In addition, the White Paper, Choosing Health", published on 16 November 2004 highlighted that the Government will build on commitments within the alcohol harm reduction strategy for England through:
	Guidance and training to ensure all health professionals are able to identify alcohol problems early.
	Piloting approaches to targeted screening and brief interventions in both primary care and hospital settings, including accident and emergency departments.
	Developing a programme for improvement for alcohol treatment services based on the findings of an audit of demand for and provision of alcohol treatment in England and the models of care framework for alcohol treatment.

Avian Influenza

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the World Health Organisation's estimates of numbers of people likely to be affected by an avian influenza pandemic.

Melanie Johnson: We are aware of the assessments made by the World Health Organization (WHO) and others, of the estimates of the number of people likely to be affected by an influenza pandemic whatever the origins may be of a novel influenza virus. Until a pandemic arrives, we will not know how many people will be affected, but have used WHO's estimate as a working assumption for planning purposes. We will continue to update our assumptions as more information becomes available.

Bone Marrow Donors

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what funding was made available to (a) the NHS and (b) charitable bodies to recruit bone marrow donors in (i) 2002–03 and (ii) 2003–04;
	(2)  what action the Government have taken to encourage the staff of Government Departments and public sector bodies to join bone marrow registers by arranging clinics and circulating literature.

Melanie Johnson: The Department provided the National Blood Service (NBS) with £3.3 million in 2002–03 and £3.3 million 2003–04 to recruit additional bone marrow donors.
	The NBS recruits potential bone marrow donors at blood donation sessions using a range of methods. These include approaching potential donors on session, making available bone marrow literature on session and sending out bone marrow literature with blood donor session invitations.
	Government and other public service employees can find out about bone marrow donation and are recruited as potential bone marrow donors through invitation to or attendance at public blood donation sessions. The NBS organises blood donation sessions within Government Departments and other public sector bodies primarily aimed at staff within these bodies. Information on bone marrow donation is available at these sessions.

Breast Cancer

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of women aged (a) 50 to 64 and (b) 65 to 70 have been screened for breast cancer by the NHS in (i) England, (ii) each strategic health authority area and (iii) each primary care trust area in each year since 1997.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 4 March 2005
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) on 8 March 2005, Official Report, column 1727W.

Dentistry

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what tendering process was completed by Methods Consulting prior to the award of the contract for the recruitment of dentists from Poland; and what expertise they have in this field.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 25 February 2005
	Methods Consulting was awarded the contract to manage International Recruitment Services for the national health service in England as the result of a competitive tendering process, in accordance with the Department's procurement policy and takes into account expertise gained through previous recruitment services to the NHS.
	Methods Consulting have extensive experience of working with the NHS, Modernisation Agency and the Department, including management of NHS Jobs electronic recruitment service.

Dentistry

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2005, Official Report, column 1616W, on dentistry, if he will list in value order the number of bursaries awarded to dentists as a result of the Returning to Dentistry scheme.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 1 March 2005
	The total number of bursaries awarded so far in 2004–05 from the Returning to Dentistry scheme is 137, at a combined total of £113,178. The number of bursaries awarded, by cohorts of value, is:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 £0-£500 31 
			 £501-£999 70 
			 £1,000-£1,999 23 
			 £2,000-£3,000 0 
			 £3,000-£4,000 13 
			 Total 137

Dentistry

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answers to questions of 23 February 2005, Official Report, column 682W, how many dentists in Kent have closed their lists to NHS patients during the last 12 months; and how many dentists have opened their lists to NHS patients during the same period.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 1 March 2005
	The great majority of dental practices treat both private and national health service patients. The Office of Fair Trading report, The private dentistry market in the UK", published in March 2003, estimated that out of 11,000 dental practices about 210 are totally private, treating no NHS patients. The information available relates to the general dental service practices in Kent that, at 15 February, were accepting at least one category of NHS patient for registration:
	50 practices are registering charge exempt adults for NHS treatment,
	31 practices that are registering charge paying adults for NHS treatment,
	91 practices that are registering children aged 0–18 years for NHS treatment.
	In addition, in the last 12 months, eight practices in Kent have moved to the personal dental services scheme, whereby they contract with their primary care trusts to undertake a specific amount of NHS treatment.

Dentistry

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost of providing free annual dental checks for adults.

Rosie Winterton: The cost of providing free annual dental checks for adults depends on the number of checks carried out and the payment to the dentist for each check. Patient charges for dental examinations are about £90 million a year. Some patients have more than one examination each year.

Doctor Retention

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of doctors who trained in England continued to work in the national health service for five years in the last period for which figures are available.

John Hutton: The latest information available is shown in the table. It relates to doctors who graduated in 1996 and who were working in the national health service five years later, in 2001.
	
		United Kingdom medical graduates working in the NHS five years after graduation(15)(5507520016)
		
			  Number/percentage 
		
		
			 Respondents working in NHS 2,349 
			 Respondents not working in NHS 337 
			 Total 2,686 
			   
			 Percentage working in NHS 87.5 
		
	
	(15) Year of graduation 1996.
	(16) Five year period ending 2001.
	Source:
	UK medical careers research group, Oxford University.

Healthy Eating

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the merits of including the calorific content on the labelling of alcoholic products.

Melanie Johnson: No assessment has been made of the merits of including the calorific content on the labelling of alcoholic products.

Insect-borne Diseases

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on (i) insect-borne diseases and (ii) Lyme disease; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: Following the completion of eight research projects investigating aspects of Lyme disease, the latest in 1999, the Department is not currently undertaking research into Lyme disease. Details of the research projects completed can be obtained from the national research register. The Department is currently providing support funding for one on-going project relating to insect borne disease being undertaken by Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals National Health Service Trust. Further information can be found at www.nrr.nhs.uk/ViewDocument.asp?ID=NO112072861.

Insect-borne Diseases

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what treatment protocols are available to NHS patients suffering from (a) insect-borne diseases and (b) Lyme disease; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: Advice to doctors about the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease is readilyavailable on the Health Protection Agency (HPA) website at www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/zoonoses/lyme_borreliosis/fag.htm.
	Guidance on treatment and prevention of other insect borne infections such as malaria and West Nile virus can be found on a number of websites, including the HPA's at http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/list.htm.

Mental Health

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on links between drug abuse and mental health.

Melanie Johnson: The Department recognises that there is a wide range of links and associations between substance abuse and mental health disorders. In order to improve the evidence within England, we commissioned a review of research literature, and the development of an information manual for practitioners from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, which were published in 2001.
	As part of the Department's drug misuse policy research initiative, which funded £2.4 million research between 2000 and 2003, we funded five studies to improve the evidence within England that related to substance abuse and mental health problems.
	Guidance commissioned by the Department, Dangerousness of Drugs—a Guide to the Risks and Harms associated with Substance Misuse", published in September 2003, describes the various health consequences of abusing drugs, including the mental health implications.
	Although we have not commissioned any further specific research into the links between substance abuse and mental health, the Department continues to monitor research in this area, and has a range of expert advisors to inform policy.

MRSA

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how frequently doctors are swab-tested for MRSA in the NHS.

Melanie Johnson: Data on testing healthcare workers for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus are not collected centrally. Policy on testing is determined by local national health service trusts.

MRSA

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2005, Official Report, column 1623W, on MRSA, what assessment has been made by the National Health Service Litigation Authority of the risk to the NHS of civil litigation cases from patients who have contracted MRSA in hospital through a hospital's negligence.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 4 March 2005
	The NHS Litigation Authority assesses future claims provisions on an aggregate basis for the whole of the national health service. Risks associated with specific conditions are not assessed or identified separately.

Obesity

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the Health Select Committee's report on obesity.

Melanie Johnson: We have not received any representations specifically related to the Health Select Committee report on obesity.

Patients' Information

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that there is good communication between healthcare professionals and their patients, with particular reference to the information patients receive on (a) tests, (b) medication and (c) advice on the matters they should be aware of following discharge from an out-patient or accident and emergency department.

Rosie Winterton: In December 2004, the Department published Better Information, better choices, better health". This is a three year programme of action, at both national and local level, designed to improve equitable access to the quality information people need and want about their personal health and healthcare. The strategy places an emphasis on enhancing the relationship between healthcare professionals and patients through supporting the dialogues within consultations. It also sets out to build further national resources and ensure that patients receive good quality information at all stages of treatment, from diagnosis to discharge.
	Copies of the document have been placed in the Library.

Pharmacy Contracts

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what financial support is available to pharmacists dispensing fewer than 2,000 items a month from (a) primary care trusts and (b) central Government;
	(2)  what annual savings his Department expects to make as a result of the withdrawal in 2008 of the Establishment Fee for smaller pharmacies;
	(3)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of pharmacies that will close as a result of the withdrawal in 2008 of the Establishment Fee for smaller pharmacies;
	(4)  what financial support will become available to pharmacists dispensing fewer than 2,000 items a month (a) from primary care trusts and (b) from central Government after the withdrawal of the Establishment Fee in 2008.

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what progress is being made in developing a standard form for local pharmaceutical services under the new pharmacy contract;
	(2)  what the reasons are for restricting the exit payment under the new pharmacy contract to the first year of the contract's operation;
	(3)  what support will be given to pharmacies dispensing less than 2,000 items per month under the new pharmacy contract.

Rosie Winterton: The current essential small pharmacies scheme (ESPS) enables pharmacies dispensing fewer than 26,100 prescriptions per year and located more than 1 km from the next nearest pharmacy to receive financial support. This is currently £43,150 per year. There were 223 ESPS pharmacies in England as at 31 March 2004. National health service primary care trusts (PCTs) can in addition support, or commission services from, other pharmacies with lower dispensing volumes in their area that do not meet the ESPS criteria if they wish to do so.
	The new community pharmacy contractual framework, due to go live from 1 April, will include special measures for pharmacies with lower dispensing volumes. The ESPS will continue and in 2006–07, we plan that these pharmacies will be able to choose whether to convert to being a local pharmaceutical services (IPS) pharmacy and retain their current ESPS entitlements or to transfer to the new contractual framework. In addition, a standard form of IPS for other pharmacies, with lower dispensing volumes, is being developed. This may help increase income for such pharmacies where they provide services which meet local health care needs.
	We expect these support arrangements to continue to be in place in 2008. We also expect NHS PCTs will, in reviewing their assessment of pharmaceutical needs, continue to consider what support can be offered to pharmacies with lower dispensing volumes which contribute effectively to meeting such needs.
	Pharmacies dispensing between 1,100 and 2,000 items a month will continue to receive the professional allowance until 31 March 2008. This ranges from £9,300 to £18,000 per year, depending on prescription volume. Pharmacies dispensing fewer than 2,000 prescriptions per year will also receive the new practice payment. Pharmacies dispensing under 1,100 prescriptions per month will receive a payment of £500 per annum as part of the practice payment. Additionally, pharmacies will have the option, during the first year of implementation, to decide whether they wish to relinquish their right to provide NHS services and to receive compensation.
	We discussed and agreed as part of our negotiations with the pharmaceutical services negotiating committee that pharmacies would be entitled during the first year of the new contractual framework to claim an exit payment. That framework will enhance the range and quality of pharmaceutical services contractors offer—and which patients will come to expect—in future. None the less, we recognised that some contractors may not wish to continue to provide services though we hope this number will be very few. We believe we have allowed a reasonable time limit within which contractors should come to a decision. To prolong the period for deliberation risks depriving all patients of the benefits the new arrangements will bring.
	We estimate that some 650 community pharmacies in England—or approximately 7 per cent. of the total—will be eligible for these special support arrangements in 2005–06. We have not estimated the number of such pharmacies that will close when these arrangements come to an end in 2008. That is a commercial decision for the contractor concerned. Consequently, we have not estimated any savings that may accrue. We do however fully expect all contractors to take advantage of the significant opportunities the new framework offers to expand the range and quality of services they offer and to be remunerated accordingly.

Residential Care (London)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) residential, (b) nursing and (c) elderly mentally infirm (i) homes and (ii) places were available in London in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (A) local authority, (B) private sector and (C)charity and voluntary providers; and what percentage of capacity in each sector was used in each year.

Stephen Ladyman: Tables 1 and 2 show the number of residential and nursing homes and places in London at 31 March for the years 1993 to 2001 by sector. Tables 3 and 4 show the number of homes and places in care homes for elderly mentally infirm people. Data is not available for the percentage of capacity used each year.
	I understand from the Chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that figures for later years were collected by the National Care Standards Commission, and now CSCI, but comparable details are not available.
	
		Table 1: Number of care homes in London, by type of accommodation: 31 March 1993–2001
		
			  Residential homes Nursing homes(17) 
			  Local authority Voluntary Private Small(18) Independent 
		
		
			 1993 390 580 490 n/a 330 
			 1994 360 580 510 370 400 
			 1995 350 610 530 490 400 
			 1996 350 640 540 570 350 
			 1997 300 730 590 600 370 
			 1998 300 710 610 640 520 
			 1999 270 740 600 630 550 
			 2000 270 740 590 630 550 
			 2001 240 750 560 690 550 
		
	
	n/a=Not available.
	(17) Includes dual registered homes.
	(18) Independent registered care homes with less than four places; required to register from 1 April 1993.
	Sources:
	Department of Health forms RA part A, RAC5, KO36 and RH(N) part A.
	
		Table 2: Number of care home places in London, by type of accommodation: 31 March 1993–2001
		
			  Residential homes Nursing homes(19) 
			  Local authority Voluntary Private Small(20) Dual registered(21) Independent 
		
		
			 1993 11,830 9,410 7,910 n/a 1,020 11,310 
			 1994 10,870 9,030 8,080 900 1,300 12,540 
			 1995 9,980 9,250 8,310 1,200 1,180 12,720 
			 1996 9,470 9,230 8,460 1,390 1,280 10,690 
			 1997 8,170 9,960 9,390 1,490 960 12,390 
			 1998 7,740 9,620 9,530 1,660 1,650 17,750 
			 1999 6,690 10,010 9,360 1,550 1,900 18,260 
			 2000 6,350 10,460 9,310 1,520 2,490 18,290 
			 2001 5,410 10,640 9,160 1,700 2,440 18,080 
		
	
	n/a=Not available.
	(19) Includes nursing places in dual registered homes.
	(20) Independent registered care homes with less than four places; required to register from 1 April 1993.
	(21) Residential places in dual registered homes.
	Sources:
	Department of Health forms RA part A, RAC5, KO36 and RH(N) part A.
	
		Table 3: Number of elderly mentally infirm(22) homes in London, by type of accommodation: 31 March 1993–2001
		
			  Dual 
			  Local authority Voluntary Private Dual registered(23) Small(24) Nursing 
		
		
			 1993 10 (25)— 20 0 n/a n/a 
			 1994 10 (25)— 10 0 n/a n/a 
			 1995 10 (25)— 10 0 n/a n/a 
			 1996 20 (25)— 10 0 n/a n/a 
			 1997 20 10 20 10 30 n/a 
			 1998 20 30 50 10 20 n/a 
			 1999 10 20 20 (25)— 20 n/a 
			 2000 20 10 30 10 10 n/a 
			 2001 10 10 30 10 40 n/a 
		
	
	n/a=Not available.
	(22) Homes that cater primarily for elderly mentally infirm people.
	(23) Homes that have registered for both residential and nursing care.
	(24) Independent registered care homes with less than four places; required to register from 1 April 1993.
	4 Five or less.
	Sources:
	Department of Health forms RA part A and RAC5.
	
		Table 4: Number of elderly mentally infirm(25) home places in London, by type of accommodation: 31 March 1993–2001
		
			  Dual 
			  Local authority Voluntary Private Dual registered(26) Small(27) Nursing 
		
		
			 1993 410 90 360 n/a n/a n/a 
			 1994 400 70 280 n/a n/a n/a 
			 1995 400 120 270 n/a n/a n/a 
			 1996 430 140 290 n/a n/a n/a 
			 1997 690 280 390 150 100 n/a 
			 1998 620 880 890 190 60 n/a 
			 1999 440 430 560 110 40 n/a 
			 2000 560 310 630 260 40 n/a 
			 2001 530 270 670 270 110 n/a 
		
	
	n/a=Not available.
	(25) Homes that cater primarily for elderly mentally infirm people.
	(26) Residential places in homes registered for both residential and nursing care.
	(27) Independent registered care homes with less than four places; required to register from 1 April 1993.
	Sources:
	Department of Health forms RA part A and RAC5.

Saneline

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the contribution of Saneline to the provision of support and advice to mentally ill people and their families; what assessment he has made of the impact of any reduction in Saneline's activities as a result of funding shortfall; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: pursuant to the reply, 7 February 2005, Official Report, c.1340–41W
	I regret my previous reply was incorrect.
	The third sentence in the first paragraph should read as follows:
	At present, Saneline is operating two of its three call centres without a reduction in service level."

Staff Abuse (Lancashire Teaching Hospitals)

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff have suffered (a) physical and (b) verbal abuse at Lancashire teaching hospitals in each of the last three years.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Sudan 1

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps (a) his Department and (b) the Food Standards Agency has made to ensure that concerns about food which may contain Sudan 1 have been adequately disseminated to (i) local authority trading standards departments, (ii) environmental health departments, (iii)food retailers and (iv) caterers;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of whether all food products containing Sudan 1 have been identified;
	(3)  what action his Department has taken (a) to inform the public of the risks involved in consumption of products known to contain Sudan 1 dye and (b) to ensure that products are withdrawn from retail and catering outlets promptly;
	(4)  what estimate his Department has made of the amount of food containing Sudan 1 dye which has not been withdrawn from retail and catering outlets.
	(5)  what assessment he has made of the longer term consequences of the Sudan 1 incident, in relation to his Department's responsibilities for the overseeing of food production and processing.

Melanie Johnson: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has advised me that full information has been made available on its website of foods known to be contaminated with Sudan 1, and that this was provided to a number of stakeholder organisations to distribute to their members. In addition, the FSA has asked all local authorities to contact food businesses in their area to ensure the recall has been effective.
	In addition the FSA has held a number of meetings with stakeholders, including retailers, caterers and other trade associations.
	The FSA is working with manufacturers and local authorities to ensure that all foods known to be contaminated with Sudan 1 are removed from sale and information has been provided to consumers on these products. Since 1 January 2005 all food businesses are legally required to have in place systems to allow full traceability of ingredients and products.
	The FSA estimates that the majority of foods known to be contaminated with Sudan 1 have been withdrawn. The FSA is working with food companies and local authorities to verify that the recall has been fully effective.
	The FSA has responsibility for overseeing the safety of food in the United Kingdom. The FSA will be conducting a thorough and robust review of the incident which will be published.

Sudan 1

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when (a) his Department and (b) the Food Standards Agency first became aware that Sudan 1 was being used as an additive to food for human consumption in the UK.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 25 February 2005
	The Food Standards Agency first became aware of the first instance of contamination of a food with Sudan 1 was present in foods in the United Kingdom on 11 June 2003. Shortly afterwards, controls on the import of chilli powder into the European Union were introduced in all member states which require prior testing of these products to show they are free of Sudan dyes. Regulations introducing the above measures were signed on 28 July 2003.

Surplus Assets Sales

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the value of sales of surplus assets from his Department was in each year since 2000–01.

John Hutton: The value of sales of fixed assets for each year since 2000–01 are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Value of sales (£ thousand) 
		
		
			 2000–01 84,363 
			 2001–02 214,068 
			 2002–03 180,806 
			 2003–04 67,506

Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to reduce mortality rates from cancer by at least 20 per cent. in people under 75 years by 2010 will be met.

Melanie Johnson: The latest information on cancer mortality shows a 12.2 per cent. reduction compared with the baseline period of 1995–97. We are ahead of where we planned to be at this stage and are therefore well on track to deliver a 20 per cent. reduction in cancer mortality by 2010.

Transsexuals

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether transsexualism is classed as a mental disorder for the purposes of sections 1 and 3 of the National Health Service Act 1977.

Rosie Winterton: Sections 1 and 3 of the NHS Act 1977 do not refer directly to mental disorder", but do require the Secretary of State to provide a health service to secure improvement in physical and mental health and to prevent, diagnose and treat illness". Illness" is defined by section 128 of the Act as including mental disorder within the meaning of the Mental Health Act 1983".
	Transsexualism is defined in the International Classification of Diseases—tenth edition (ICD-10)—as a mental disorder and it is therefore likely that it would be regarded as a mental disorder for the purposes of the 1983 Act.
	The ICD-10 classification reads as follows:
	F64.0 Transsexualism
	A desire to live and be accepted as a member of the opposite sex, usually accompanied by a sense of discomfort with, or inappropriateness of, one's anatomic sex, and a wish to have surgery and hormonal treatment to make one's body as congruent as possible with one's preferred sex."
	Guidance on gender dysphoria was included in the national definitions set for specialised services, which suggests that primary care trusts should commission such services collectively. Specialised services for mental health, including services for people with gender dysphoria, are being reviewed by the national director for mental health, Professor Louis Appleby, and a report is due in May.

Trumpington House

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the statement made by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health on 11 January 2005, Official Report, column 63WH, if he will clarify the position regarding the funding given by Somerset Coast Primary Care Trust to Trumpington House surgery.

Stephen Ladyman: I regret that my previous statement, given on 11 January 2005, Official Report, column 63WH, was incorrect. I am advised that, following acceptance of the new general medical service contract, the primary care trust (PCT) has an ongoing investment of £450,991 in the Trumpington House surgery.
	The Somerset Coast PCT has been allocated an additional £250,000 capital funding for 2005–06 to assist with the development of this modernisation project. I also understand that additional recurrent revenue, in the form of notional rent payments, will be allocated to the surgery to fund this development.

DEFENCE

Air Tanker Programme

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the air tanker programme; and from where the proposed air tanker will be (a) serviced and (b) operated.

Adam Ingram: The Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) project is aimed at providing the Royal Air Force's Air Refuelling capability through the private finance initiative.
	I refer my hon. Friend to the announcement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 28 February 2005, Official Report, column 73WS, in which he announced to the House that AirTanker has been selected as the preferred bidder for the FSTA project. The PFI contract currently under negotiation with AirTanker is based on the firm assumption that the FSTA aircraft are both operated from, and maintained at, RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. We shall of course ensure that the House is kept fully informed of significant developments.

Atomic Weapons Establishment

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's personnel are assigned to the Atomic Weapons Establishment.

Adam Ingram: There are currently 95 Ministry of Defence Personnel whose duties relate predominantly to activities at the Atomic Weapons Establishment.

Camp Cropper

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to ensure that the UK meets its obligations under the Geneva Convention with regard to prisoners held at Camp Cropper for whom the UK is responsible.

Adam Ingram: The United Kingdom is not responsible for any internees or detainees at Camp Cropper.

Chinook Crash

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library (a) the Boscombe Down CA Release Recommendations as they applied to the HC2 Chinook standard embodied in ZD576 at the time the HC2 Chinook entered service and (b) changes in those recommendations that were made up to and including 2 June 1994.

Adam Ingram: I will write to the right hon. Member, and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Chinook Crash

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2005, Official Report, column 651W, on Air Crash (Board of Inquiry), whether the Chief of the Air Staff, the Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group, the Air Officer Commanding in Chief and members of the RAF Directorate of Legal Services met prior to 2001 to discuss the Board of Inquiry into the crash of ZD576 on the Mull of Kintyre.

Adam Ingram: A search of available records has provided no evidence that a meeting involving all the named officials took place.

Chinook Crash

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2005, Official Report, column 651W, on Air Crash (Board of Inquiry), if he will place in the Library the memoranda, minutes and other documents which were circulated (a) in preparation for and (b) as a result of the meetings that took place in 2001 at which the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshals Wratten and Day, and the Director of Legal Services RAF were present.

Adam Ingram: Three meetings took place in 2001 at which the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshals Wratten and Day, and the Director of Legal Services (RAF) were present. The documents concerned are being recalled from archives and their suitability for release will be considered. I will write to the right hon. Member when this has been completed and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Chinook Crash

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment other than by Racal he has examined of the findings of Racal regarding the SuperTANS on Chinook ZD576.

Adam Ingram: Data was extracted from the RS252 SuperTANS unit by the equipment manufacturer, Racal Avionics Ltd. The extracted data was subsequently examined by the Board of Inquiry with the assistance of the Aircraft Accident Investigations Branch.

Civil Servants (Gibraltar)

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether TUPE rules will apply to the transfer of his Department's jobs in Gibraltar to the private sector.

Adam Ingram: The Gibraltar Employment Ordinance provides the equivalent legislation in Gibraltar. MOD staff transferred to a contractor will have their terms and conditions of service, including pay, protected as part of a transfer of undertakings.

Cluster Munitions

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 31 January 2005, Official Report, column 729W, on cluster munitions, whether any foreign-owned company has (a) manufactured cluster munitions in and (b) exported cluster munitions from the UK since 1998.

Adam Ingram: No foreign-owned company has manufactured cluster munitions in the UK or exported cluster munitions from the UK since 1998.

Death in Service

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements are made for parents of service personnel who have died (a) while on active service abroad and (b) while stationed at overseas barracks to visit the sites of the deaths.

Ivor Caplin: When a service person dies overseas the body will be repatriated or, if the next of kin request it, interred locally. In the latter case the service will bear the cost, including travel expenses of close relatives. Where the body has been interred overseas without the attendance of the relatives, or was not recovered, funding may be provided for two close relatives to visit the site within two years of the death.

Defence Information Infrastructure Project

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to award the contract for the Defence Information Infrastructure project.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 2 March 2005, Official Report, column 88WS.

Defence Service Agencies (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of its personnel budget for each financial year since 1997–98 the Duke of York's Royal Military School spent in Scotland (a) in monetary terms and (b) as a percentage of the total personnel budget for that year; how many personnel were employed in Scotland in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: All the information requested is published in our annual Accounts, which are available in the Library of the House.

Defence Service Agencies (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of its personnel budget for each financial year since 1997–98 the Defence Medical Services Department spent in Scotland (a) in monetary terms and (b) as a percentage of the total personnel budget for that year; how many personnel were employed in Scotland in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: In the current financial year 2004–05, specifically the Defence Medical Services Department (DMSD) is spending £56,424 of its personnel budget in Scotland which forms approximately 0.5 per cent. of the total DMSD personnel budget for this year. This covers less than five members of staff.
	In previous years the DMSD has not employed any personnel in Scotland as they have been employed by other agencies and thus the figure is zero for all other years requested.

Devonport

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what departmental reviews currently under way affect the future of Devonport Dockyard and Devonport Naval Base.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence is carrying out a number of studies as part of a wider strategy intended to optimise UK industry's warship and submarine sector. All have a similar headline aim of improving programme and cost performance, and ensuring sustainable capacity and capability. The main studies are:
	Maritime Coherence Study
	UK Naval Shipbuilding Industrial Strategy
	Surface Ship Support Study
	Submarine Acquisition Modernisation
	Future Defence Supply Chain Initiative
	The aim is to create an overall 'road map' that will identify how and when the outcomes of these studies might converge to improve overall efficiency. However, it is too early to say what impact, if any, these studies will have on Devonport, or any other, Dockyard or Naval Base.

Equipment Programmes

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will begin Equipment Programme 06.

Adam Ingram: To align the Ministry of Defence's planning cycle with the Government's biennial planning cycle based on Spending Reviews in alternate years, and to improve further the effectiveness of our planning, we have decided to conduct future planning rounds every two years, rather than annually. Equipment Plan 2007 will therefore be the next equipment planning round; the main work will commence early in 2006.

Gibraltar

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service quarters are available for the armed forces in Gibraltar; how many are (a) being and (b) planned to be improved; which are planned to be (i) sold and (ii) gutted; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: British Forces Gibraltar currently owns 515 houses. None are being sold or gutted. However, under the Lands Agreement, 123 quarters will be passed to GOG, 392 quarters in total will then be available for use by MOD, including 96 which will be leased from Royal Gibraltar Regiment Trust. A total of 47 properties are currently being improved and it is planned to improve 114 in the future.

Iraq

Angela Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel have been deployed in private security companies on behalf of coalition forces during the course of the Iraq war; and how many personnel are currently deployed in private military companies in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 21 February 2005
	The Ministry of Defence does not employ private military companies or private security companies in Iraq. Use of private military companies by other coalition partners is a matter for them.

Iraq

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of Iraqi casualties in the UK sector since the end of the war; and what percentage this represents of the total estimated number of Iraqi casualties since the conflict began.

Adam Ingram: None. The United Kingdom armed forces do not maintain records which would enable a definitive estimate of the total number of civilian casualties arising from the Iraq conflict to be calculated.
	UK military reporting is limited to the UK area of operations. But even within the UK area of operations reporting is limited to what troops see on the ground. So military reporting is incomplete and cannot provide the basis of civilian casualty estimates. This is why we do not publish figures.

Iraq

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much was spent by the Government on military operations between the outbreak of hostilities in Iraq on 19 March 2003 and 1 May 2003; and how much has been spent by the Government on military operations in Iraq since 1 May 2003;
	(2)  how much money was spent by the Government on preparations for the war in Iraq before the outbreak of war on 19 March 2003.

Adam Ingram: Figures for the net additional costs of operations, in Iraq and elsewhere, are calculated and audited on an annual basis. The total cost of operations in Iraq in 2002–03, including the costs of preparations and the war fighting phase beginning in March 2003, was £847 million. Total costs in 2003–04 including the remainder of the war fighting phase, were £1,311 million.

Military Police

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are to move Royal Military Police training from Chichester to HMS Dryad in Portsmouth; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The future of Royal Military Police training at Chichester, which forms part of the Defence College of Police and Personnel Administration, is under consideration. As yet, no decisions have been made. Should any proposals materialise, they will be subject to normal consultation processes and the hon. Member will be advised.

Military Tanker Capacity

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to match military tanker capacity to defence requirements.

Adam Ingram: The military afloat reach and sustainability project is planned to provide new maritime tankers. Land and air requirements will be met respectively by the wheeled tanker, which has just entered service, and the future strategic air tanker for which the preferred bidder has just been announced.

Naval Refit Contracts

Rachel Squire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the competition process for the contract for the repair of HMS Nottingham.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 8 March 2005
	The contract for the repairs to HMS Nottingham was awarded to Fleet Support Ltd. (FSL) in 2002 following a three-way competition between FSL Portsmouth, Devonport Management Ltd. (DML) Devonport, and Babcock Support Services Ltd. (BSSL) Rosyth, the outcome having been judged on overall value for money.

Naval Shipbuilding Implementation Study

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who the members are of the UK naval shipbuilding implementation study; what its terms of reference are; and when it will report.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 7 March 2005
	A team has been established within the Ministry of Defence to investigate the potential for a United Kingdom naval shipbuilding industrial strategy that best meets the needs of the forward naval equipment programme. The strategy will be developed in consultation with key members of the UK naval shipbuilding industry, other Government Departments (OGDs) and the trades unions. Formal terms of reference are under consideration, but in broad terms the study will investigate the potential for sustaining sufficient industrial capability and capacity, at the requisite level of performance and quality, to deliver an affordable UK naval ship programme in the longer term.
	Time scales for delivery and implementation of the strategy are currently under review in consultation with industry.

RAF

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which squadrons will be affected by planned changes to the Royal Air Force.

Adam Ingram: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced on 21 July 2004, Official Report, column 343, a number of changes to the Royal Air Force which affected squadrons. These included a reduction in the number of Tornado F3 squadrons by one (XI (F) Squadron in October 2005), bringing forward the disbandment of Jaguar Squadrons (54(F) to 2005 and 41(F) to 2006 and the disbandment of the final Jaguar squadron in 2007 (6 Squadron)), and a reduction in the Nimrod MR2 fleet to 16 aircraft. As a result of the latter, I announced in December that 206 squadron would be disbanded.

RAF

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Government's plans for the future of RAF High Wycombe.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 8 March 2005
	As I advised the hon. Member in my letter to him of 27 February last year, the use of RAF High Wycombe, along with all of the defence estate, is kept under constant review. RAF High Wycombe is the headquarters of RAF Strike Command and it is currently being considered as part of the process and organisation review into the collocation of the two RAF headquarters. I will announce the outcome of this review when the work is complete.

RAF Flights (Ascension Island)

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilian passengers have flown on RAF flights to Ascension Island in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has no requirement to retain information specifically relating to the numbers of civilians flown on RAF or chartered aircraft utilized on the South Atlantic schedule. Furthermore, the MOD does not retain air travel booking information longer than the current and previous financial years. No figures are, therefore, available for the period 1997 to March 2003. Booking information for the financial year April 2003 to March 2004 is not all held centrally and detail of civilians is not in a form which could be extracted without disproportionate cost.
	While information for the current financial year is not all held centrally, it has been possible to establish the number of fare-paying civilian passengers who have been booked through the Defence Passenger Reservations Centre in the UK and who have flown to/from Ascension Island during the period April 2004 to February 2005: 1,481.

RAF Flights (Ascension Island)

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effects on UK military operations on Ascension Island of civilian aircraft using Wideawake Airport.

Adam Ingram: Wideawake is a United States military facility operated under the terms of the 1950 Bahamas Agreement as modified by subsequent Exchange of Notes. The use of Wideawake by civil aircraft was established under an Exchange of Notes in October 2003. Up to four movements (two arrivals, two departures) are allowed a week. Under the terms of agreement, military movements, both UK and US, have priority over civil movements at all times. In times of crisis, civil flights would be allowed only if there is no operational impact.

Regiments

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what plans he has for regimental headquarters which will not be used following the formation of the Kings, Lancashire and Border Regiment;
	(2)  what estimate has been made of the value of regimental properties and establishments of each of the three regiments to be merged into the King's, Lancashire and Border Regiment; and what estimate he has made of potential savings from the merger.

Adam Ingram: Work on potential changes to the Army's estate resulting from the formation of the King's, Lancashire and Border Regiment is still at an early stage. Announcements on this issue will be made once details have been finalised.

Regiments

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what circumstances an Army Board decision on a regimental name could be changed.

Adam Ingram: The only circumstances under which a decision on a regimental name could be changed would be when there is an organisational requirement to do so.

Regiments

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) where the regimental headquarters for the King's Lancashire and Border Regiment will be located; and when he expects relocation to take place.

Adam Ingram: It is anticipated that a study into the future of the Army's Corps and Regimental Headquarters, which would likely contemplate issues such as locations in the light of the restructuring of the Army and the Infantry, will be commissioned in the near future. At the present time I can provide no details as to what conclusions such a study might draw and no timescale as to when it may report.

RFA Argus

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) capital and (b) revenue costs were of maintaining RFA Argus for the last year for which records are available; and what the forecast is for each of the next three years.

Adam Ingram: In financial year 2003–04, the last year for which records are available, £14.78 million was spent on maintaining RFA Argus. Of this, £14.7 million were resource costs and £0.087 million were capital costs.
	To release details of maintenance budgets for the next three financial years could prejudice future competitions for RFA refit and maintenance work and this information is therefore being withheld on commercial grounds.

Rosyth Dockyard

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what discussions (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department had with the right hon. Member for Dunfermline, East (Mr. Brown) prior to the decision to award the contracts to refit HMS Edinburgh and HMS Ark Royal to Rosyth Dockyard;
	(2)  what representations were received by Ministers in his Department from hon. Members representing constituencies in and around Rosyth, Scotland, in relation to the contracts to refit HMS Edinburgh and HMS Ark Royal.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 3 March 2005
	There were no discussions between Defence Ministers and the right hon. Member for Dunfermline, East prior to the decision to award the contracts to refit HMS Edinburgh and HMS Ark Royal to Rosyth Dockyard. Defence Ministers have received representatives from hon. Members representing constituencies in and around Rosyth, Scotland on a range of issues, including in relation to these contracts.

Rosyth Dockyard

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  on what basis the contracts to refit HMS Edinburgh and HMS Ark Royal were awarded to Rosyth Dockyard; and what the cost to public funds is of each contract;
	(2)  whether his Department always accepts the most competitive tender for the refitting of surface ships.

Adam Ingram: Contracts for the refitting of surface ships, including those for HMS Edinburgh and HMS Ark Royal, are awarded following open competitions. Royal Navy surface ship work is competed fairly and all tenders within the same competition are assessed against identical criteria, such as technical and commercial compliance, partnering proposals and price. The outcome is judged on overall value for money against these criteria.
	The estimated cost for the refits of HMS Edinburgh and HMS Ark Royal, including the Ministry of Defence supplied materials, are around £20 million and £55 million respectively.

Submarine Acquisition Study

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who the members are of the submarine acquisition study; what its terms of reference are; and when it will report.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 7 March 2005
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 February 2005, Official Report, column 127W, to the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Soames).

Surface Combatants

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who the members are of the surface ship support study; what its terms of reference are; and when it will report.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 7 March 2005
	The surface ship support study (SSSS) is looking at the ways in which the Ministry of Defence might engage with the United Kingdom naval surface ship refit and repair contractors to make best use of the industrial base, taking account of the future size of the Royal Navy surface fleet. The study includes consultations with industry (BAE Systems, Devonport Management Ltd., Babcock International Group, Fleet Support Ltd. and A and P) and aims to deliver recommendations for the way ahead and an outline implementation plan to defence Ministers during spring 2005.
	SSSS forms part of a wider strategy intended to optimise UK industry's warship and submarine sector; other elements include the maritime coherence study, the UK naval shipbuilding industrial strategy, the submarine acquisition modernisation project and the future defence supply chain initiative. The aim is to create an overall 'road map' that will identify how and when the outcomes of these studies might converge to improve overall efficiency.

Surface Ship Refits

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent, in each of HM Dockyards on repairs and refits of warships and auxiliaries in each year since 1997.

Adam Ingram: The data required to answer the question are not held centrally nor in a standard format. I will therefore write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to achieve the objectives established by Ministers for operations and military tasks in which the United Kingdom's armed forces are involved, including those providing support to our civil communities;
	(2)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to improve effectiveness of the UK contribution to conflict prevention and management as demonstrated by a reduction in the number of people whose lives are affected by violent conflict and a reduction in potential sources of future conflict;
	(3)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to deliver improved effectiveness of UK and international support for conflict prevention by 2008, will be met;
	(4)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to ensure that a minimum of 90 per cent. of high readiness forces are at their required states of readiness with no critical weakness by 2006, will be met;
	(5)  whether the Public Service Agreement target for the Royal Navy and the RAF to achieve manning balance by 2004, was met;
	(6)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target for the Army to achieve manning balance by 2005, will be met;
	(7)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to strengthen European security through an enlarged and modernised NATO, an effective EU military crisis management capacity and enhanced European defence capabilities;
	(8)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to develop and deliver to time and cost targets military capability for the future, including battle-winning technology, equipment and systems, matched to the changing strategic environment;
	(9)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to play a leading role in the development of the European Security Agenda;
	(10)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to increase value for money by making improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of the key processes for delivering military capability;
	(11)  whether the Public Service Agreement target to make year-on-year output efficiency gains of 2.5 per cent., was met in 2003–04;
	(12)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to make year-on-year output efficiency gains of 2.5 per cent., will be met in (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06;
	(13)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to make a 20 per cent. output efficiency gain in the Defence Logistics Organisation.

Adam Ingram: Details of the MOD's performance against its Public Service Agreement targets are published every quarter on the Treasury and MOD websites. The MOD's most recent report, covering performance against PSA targets for the third quarter of 2004–05 (October to December 2004), was published on www.mod.uk on 1 March 2005. Further information on the MOD's performance against SR2002 PSA targets can be found in the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2003–04," available in the Library of the House and on www.mod.uk.

Tornado Aircraft

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the depth support maintenance will be undertaken by (a) RAF personnel and (b) BAE Systems personnel at RAF Marham when Tornado GR4s are rolled forward.

Adam Ingram: The precise number of RAF and BAE Systems personnel to be employed on Depth Support maintenance for the Tornado GR4 at RAF Marham has yet to be determined.

Trident

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether arrangements are in place for the transfer of command and control functions for the Trident nuclear system to (a) the Australian Government and (b) the US Administration in the event of a nuclear attack on the UK which leads to (i)loss of communication with and (ii) the destruction of the UK Government.

Geoff Hoon: As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made clear in the answer he gave on 28 January 2003, Official Report, column 774W, to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Mr. Marsden), the use of the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons may be ordered only by the Prime Minister. It would not be in the interests of national security to comment further on command and control arrangements for the nuclear deterrent.

Trident

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has assessed the merits of converting Trident nuclear submarines to carry Tomahawk cruise missiles; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: No.

Trident

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what alterations would be required to enable the UK to mount current Trident nuclear warheads on cruise missiles.

Geoff Hoon: The nuclear warhead mounted on the United Kingdom's Trident submarine-launched ballistic missiles was designed for use only on such missiles.
	Fundamental design changes would be required to enable it to function safely and effectively when mounted on a cruise missile, but no detailed assessment of such changes, or their feasibility, has been made.

Trident

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether research is being undertaken in the UK on miniaturisation of current Trident nuclear warheads.

Geoff Hoon: No.

Trident

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many nuclear warheads are deployed on Trident submarines.

Geoff Hoon: As announced in the 1998 Strategic Defence Review (paragraph 67), we have only one Trident submarine on deterrent patrol at a time, carrying 48 warheads.

UK Nuclear Capability

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has assessed the merits of mounting nuclear warheads on cruise missiles as part of the UK's current or future nuclear deterrent.

Geoff Hoon: For details of an assessment made in 1980, I refer the hon. Member to Defence Open Government Document 80/23, published by the then Defence Secretary in July 1980, particularly paragraphs 35–43. Subsequently, as noted by the then Defence Secretary on 18 October 1993, Official Report, column 34, an air-to-surface missile was considered as a possible delivery system to replace the RAF's freefall nuclear bomb. No assessment of the possibility of cruise missiles forming a part of the United Kingdom's current nuclear deterrent capability has been made under the present Administration. Paragraph 3.11 of the 2003 Defence White Paper made clear that we would keep open the range of options for maintaining a nuclear deterrent capability in future until decisions are required.

Union Flag (Gibraltar)

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason the size of the Union flag flown on his Department's site on top of the Rock of Gibraltar has been reduced; and if he will ensure that the flag flown there is of the size flown previously.

Adam Ingram: A smaller than usual sized flag has been flown from the top of the Department's site on the Rock of Gibraltar since Christmas 2001, after the previous flag blew away. British Forces Gibraltar have recently ordered, and are awaiting the delivery of, a larger flag.

US National Ignition Facility

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been invested to date by his Department in the US National Ignition Facility.

Geoff Hoon: The United Kingdom has spent $43.34 million to date against a total commitment of $46 million.

Vice Chief of Defence Staff

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work is being undertaken in Vice Chief of Defence Staff Medium Workstrands; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: In July 2004 the Ministry of Defence published 'Delivering Security in a Changing World (Future Capabilities)' (Cm 6269), which described the changes to the planned structure of the armed forces and the forward equipment plan flowing from the policy adjustments set out in the Defence White Paper of December 2003 (Cm 6041). The Vice Chief of Defence Staff is leading action to implement these changes and ensure the resultant benefits are delivered.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Cocaine (South America)

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his estimate is of the level of production of cocaine in each of the past 10years in (a) Colombia, (b) Peru, (c) Bolivia and (d) the rest of South America.

Bill Rammell: In its 2004 World Drug Report, the United Nations office on drugs and crime listed the following figures for potential cocaine manufacture.
	
		Metric tonnes
		
			  Bolivia Columbia Peru 
		
		
			 1993 240 119 410 
			 1994 255 201 435 
			 1995 240 230 460 
			 1996 215 300 435 
			 1997 200 350 325 
			 1998 150 435 240 
			 1999 70 680 175 
			 2000 43 69 141 
			 2001 60 617 150 
			 2002 60 580 160 
			 2003 60 440 155 
		
	
	These figures are based on the amount of cocaine that can be produced from coca leaf grown in the country concerned.
	Some coca cultivation has also been reported in Brazil, Panama and Venezuela, but it is thought to be relatively insignificant in comparison with the volumes produced in the Andean countries.

European Constitution

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) officials and (b) Ministers in his Department had with the organisation Britain in Europe regarding the question for the referendum on the European constitution.

Denis MacShane: None.

European Constitution

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department received (a) briefing, (b) research and (c) other submissions from the organisation Britain in Europe regarding the question in the referendum on the European constitution.

Denis MacShane: No.

European Constitution

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from what non-governmental (a) organisations and (b) individuals his Department received advice, market research or the results of opinion polling regarding the wording of the question in the referendum on the European constitution.

Denis MacShane: None.

European Constitution

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide a copy of the proposed European constitution for each household in the UK.

Denis MacShane: There are no current plans for such a distribution, but the treaty, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's commentary upon it, are available free at www.europe.gov.uk. The full text and commentary have also been made available to central libraries, and are available to members of the public on request from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Oil for Food Programme

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Governments of (a) France, (b) Russia and (c) China on (i) the Volcker investigation into the UN Oil for Food programme and (ii) the illegal movements of oil from Iraq prior to the invasion.

Bill Rammell: The Government has had regular bilateral and multilateral discussions with France, Russia, China and other Security Council members about the establishment and ongoing work of the Independent Inquiry Committee (IIC) investigating the Oil for Food Programme, including its endorsement under resolution 1538 (21 April 2004).
	Prior to the military action of 19 March 2003, the Government also regularly raised its concerns in the Security Council and bilaterally with other countries about illegal activities under the UN's Iraq sanctions regime, including the illicit smuggling of oil.

Poppy Cultivation

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that any reduction in poppy cultivation in Afghanistan is not replaced by increased cultivation in other countries, with particular reference to Myanmar, Pakistan, Kazhakstan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkemenistan and China.

Bill Rammell: In addition to the UK's lead nation status on counter narcotics in Afghanistan, we are active around the world to increase international capacity to combat the production and illicit trade in drugs which pose a threat to the UK. Pakistan and Iran are two of the highest priority countries for UK assistance. The UK is also providing £1.3 million to build counter narcotics capacity in Tajikistan.
	We take forward this work in full cooperation with international partners, in particular engagement with the European Commission and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Sudanese authorities concerning their seizure of the Anglican Church headquarters in Khartoum; and what discussions he has had with (a) Bishops of Khartoum and (b) their representatives on the matter.

Chris Mullin: holding answer 9 March 2005
	On 20 May 2004, police entered the Episcopal Church of Sudan's (ECS) guesthouse in Khartoum (which also served as the provincial office) and ordered the eviction of ECS personnel and properties from the building. This followed a court order on an ownership dispute, in which it is alleged the serving Archbishop had sold the premises to a private businessman. The sale was challenged by the Church. The case is currently before the courts, with the next hearing due to be held on 15 March 2005. The noble Lord, Lord Carey of Clifton raised this matter with Sudanese Vice President Taha during a visit in January 2005. We will continue to follow this case and keep in regular contact with the ECS and representatives of all religious groups in Sudan.

Surplus Assets Sales

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the value of sales of surplus assets from his Department was in each year since 2000–01.

Bill Rammell: Sales of fixed assets per the resource accounts were as follows:
	
		£
		
			  Proceeds 
		
		
			 2000–01 19,236,000 
			 2001–02 40,015,000 
			 2002–03 13,437,000 
			 2003–04 26,875,000

Suspected Terrorists

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government have received requests from a Department or Agency of the United States Administration to use United Kingdom (a) airports and (b) airspace to deliver suspected terrorists from one foreign country to another via the United Kingdom.

Denis MacShane: No.

UK Nuclear Weapons

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list each multilateral negotiating forum in which United Kingdom nuclear weapons are under discussion pursuant to British obligations under Article 6 of the nuclear non proliferation treaty.

Denis MacShane: None.

CABINET OFFICE

Butler Committee

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether all the Butler Committee recommendations concerning the proper recording and minuting of committee meetings have been implemented.

David Miliband: Yes. The Cabinet Secretariat serves the Prime Minister and Ministers collectively, in particular by servicing Cabinet and Cabinet Committees. The Cabinet Secretariat's role is to put in place appropriate handling of committee business, such as the preparation of papers and minutes to ensure the effective functioning of the committee structure.

EU Rapid Reaction Civil Emergency Force

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with EU Governments regarding (A) the provision of a rapid reaction civil emergency force within the EU and (B) co-ordination measures needed to facilitate civil emergency planning; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Preliminary discussions on better co-ordination of resources within the EU to deal with emergencies and the outline of an Action Plan were discussed at an extra-ordinary meeting of the Council on 7 January. A detailed Action Plan was adopted at the meeting of the Council on 31 January. The Action Plan asks the Institutions of the European Union and the member states to discuss improvements to existing instruments for providing assistance in emergencies, including better co-ordination, and to discuss the setting up of a European rapid response capability including its relationship with the existing civil protection mechanism and EU humanitarian aid. The UK has, along with other member states, contributed ideas on how the EU might further improve its co-ordination of disaster response. These ideas have been discussed at various levels in the Council and its working groups, andbetween Capitals. The European Commission and Javier Solana are considering the ideas put forward andproducing options papers for consideration and discussion by member states.

Parking

George Osborne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much has been spent on (a) provision of parking spaces for civil servants and (b) parking tickets and penalties incurred by civil servants in the Department in each year since 1997.

David Miliband: The Cabinet Office does not specifically incur any costs for the purpose of providing parking spaces for its employees. Some parking spaces are provided as part of rent paid for some leased office space.
	Employees are personally responsible for meeting the cost of parking tickets and penalties. The only parking tickets and penalties incurred were by staff of the Government Car and Despatch Agency (and more specifically the Government Car Service) while undertaking their official duties within Government and the public sector. A sum of £3,610 was incurred in 2003–04. Figures for earlier years cannot be readily retrieved without incurring disproportionate cost.

Regional bodies

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what regional (a) bodies, (b) institutions, (c) taskforces, (d) panels, (e) offices and (f) organisations the Government has established since May 1997 which are the responsibility of the Cabinet Office.

David Miliband: The Cabinet Office has not established any regional bodies, institutions, taskforces, panels, offices or organisations since 1997. This reflects the nature of the Department's work.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Asbestos (Trains)

John Hume: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what part was played by the Department in the processing of train carriages containing asbestos in the Crosshill Quarry Site between November 2003 and June 2004; what method of processing was used; on what dates; and whether the Department has assessed the extent to which statutory obligations were adhered to by the asbestos processing company.

Angela Smith: The Department of the Environment played no part in the repositioning of the carriages at Crosshill. I understand that this work commenced before 19 December 2003 when the regulatory powers for waste management transferred from district councils to the Department's Environment and Heritage Service (EHS).
	I understand that the original method of moving the carriages was modified as they were too heavy to be removed in one piece. The carriages were removed by cutting them into three sections using large mechanical shears. The work was undertaken by an operator trained in asbestos removal, who did not observe any asbestos when the work was being carried out.
	The site was inspected by my waste management officials on 13 February 2004 and they saw no evidence of railway carriages or asbestos waste, findings reinforced by photographic and documentary evidence on file. The site is also subject to regulation by EHS under the terms of the Water (NI) Order 1999. In the course of a regulatory site visit on 24 February 2004, EHS Water Management officials noted that no carriages were visible".
	In addition, EHS has undertaken independent water quality and soil sampling tests at the site and concluded that there has been no breach of the water order consent nor evidence of contravention of waste licensing controls. The Department therefore has no grounds to take action against the company.
	EHS will continue to monitor the Crosshill site for the presence of asbestos to ensure full compliance with the water order consent. Independent air quality monitoring will be a condition of any subsequent waste licence or permit application.

Cabra Towers

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment has been made of the impact of the closure of the South Eastern education and library board's Cabra Towers outdoors facility on the local economy; what plans the Department of Education has for the facility; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: Provision of outdoor education facilities such as Cabra Towers is a matter for individual education and library boards. I understand that the South Eastern education and library board has not made an assessment on the impact of the closure of Cabra Towers on the local economy and that the board's considerations are based on the costs of maintaining and refurbishing the building and on the board's ability to offer the services delivered through Cabra in a more efficient manner. I also understand that a decision has not yet been taken to close the facility and that the board is currently considering a number of options which will ensure that there are no compulsory redundancies if a subsequent decision to close is taken.

Cabra Towers

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what services are provided by the Cabra Towers outdoor facility; which of these services are classed by his Department as front-line services delivered for children; and what plans the Department of Education has for the provision of services to children in the event of the closure of Cabra Towers.

Barry Gardiner: Cabra Towers is an outdoor education centre which focuses on the delivery of outdoor and environmental education to the primary sector. The Department recognises that outdoor activity centres such as Cabra Towers are a valuable educational resource and they enhance both curriculum delivery and the learning experience. However, the relevant aspects for the statutory curriculum can be delivered successfully without availing of the services of such centres and ultimately it is the responsibility of individual schools to decide which educational resources they use. The South Eastern education and library board is currently exploring a range of options which will ensure continued provision of these services in the board's other outdoor education centres, should a decision be taken by them to close Cabra Towers.

Cabra Towers

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the schools that have made use of the Cabra Towers outdoor facility in each of the last five years were from the (a) controlled sector and (b) maintained sector.

Barry Gardiner: The relevant details are set out in the following table:
	
		Statistics for usage of Cabra Towers by maintained and controlled schools for the period 1999–2004
		
			  Controlled Maintained Total Controlled (percentage) Maintained (percentage) 
		
		
			 September 1999 to June 2000 25 11 36 69 31 
			 September 2000 to June 2001 24 8 32 75 25 
			 September 2001 to June 2002 31 10 41 76 24 
			 September 02—June 03 27 6 33 82 18 
			 September 2003 to June 2004 29 9 38 76 24 
			 September 2004 to June 2005 (TBC) 27 10 37 73 27 
		
	
	The figures for September 2004 to June 2005 are based on bookings for the period after 4 March

Domestic Violence

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) male and (b) female victims of domestic violence in Northern Ireland have been recorded in each year since 1997.

Ian Pearson: The figures requested are set out in the following table.
	The Police Service of Northern Ireland currently record statistics in respect of the number of domestic violence incidents attended and the number of incidents where offences have been disclosed.
	The Police Service introduced Domestic Violence Officers in September 1997 and it is after this point that consistent and reliable data became available. The recording systems were developed between 1997 and 2000 and it is after this time that further reliable information became available in respect of victim gender.
	Previously the Police Service recorded all domestic violence incidents manually with only crimes being electronically recorded. This has recently changed and all incidents, crimes and non-crimes are now recorded on the Integrated Crime Information System.
	
		Table of domestic violence incidents/offence 1997–2004
		
			  Domestic violence Victims 
			  Incidents Offences Females Males 
		
		
			 1997–98 10,367 n/a n/a n/a 
			 1998–99 14,889 6,761 n/a n/a 
			 1999–2000 15,269 7,558 n/a n/a 
			 2000–01 14,325 7,254 6,300 908 
			 2001–02 14,937 7,814 6,659 1,041 
			 2002–03 15,512 7,961 7,627 1,414 
			 2003–04 16,926 8,565 7,103 1,273 
		
	
	n/a = not available

Inward Investment (Strangford)

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much inward investment there has been in Strangford during the last four years; how many new businesses have opened in this period; and what plans Invest Northern Ireland have to promote further investment in the area.

Barry Gardiner: During the four year period 2000–01 to 2003–04 there were four offers of assistance to inward investment projects within Strangford parliamentary constituency area. The total amount offered to these was £1.3 million, contributing towards a total planned investment of £5.5 million. This assistance is generally drawn down over a number of years.
	In addition, there were 350 offers of assistance made to new start-up businesses within the constituency. The value of assistance offered to these start-ups was just over £1 million, contributing towards an estimated total planned investment of £6.7 million.
	Since being established in April 2002, Invest NI has been actively working with over 25 client companies in the constituency, providing them with access to a full range of support programmes, a number of projects in these companies are currently at differing stages of development. Invest NI owns 10.6 acres of land in the constituency which is available for industrial development use and its local office network also continues to actively promote enterprise and business start-up in the area through partnerships with local business development bodies and the district councils.

Mobile Phones

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost of staff mobile phone bills was in each year since 1997.

Paul Murphy: The cost of staff mobile phone bills to the Northern Ireland Office (excluding its agencies and NDPBs) since 1997 were as follows:
	
		£
		
			  Cost of staff mobile phone bills 
		
		
			 1997–98 74,791 
			 1998–99 102,673 
			 1999–2000 100,245 
			 2000–01 100,087 
			 2001–02 90,538 
			 2002–03 113,697 
			 2003–04 129,203

Provisional IRA

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the amount of money earned by the Provisional IRA in advising (a) FARC terrorists in Colombia and (b) ETA terrorists in Spain on their activities.

Ian Pearson: Information about the links between the Provisional IRA and (a) FARC and (b) ETA is only available from intelligence sources and it would be inappropriate for the Government to comment.

Sea Trout Fishing

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment and Heritage Service has made of the viability of (a) a free-for-all approach to sea trout fishing and (b) the introduction of a permit system for sea trout fishing for Strangford Lough; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure is responsible for inland fisheries matters, including sea trout in Northern Ireland. The other Departments referred to in the question have no responsibility for such matters.
	There has been no assessment of the viability of a free-for-all approach to sea trout fishing in Strangford Lough. Any person fishing in the Lough for sea trout requires an angling licence issued by the Fisheries Conservancy Board. The licence is required to ensure the regulation of fishing and preservation of good order among those fishing. An assessment of the viability of a permit system has been carried out, which indicates that:
	1. Fishing in the sea is a public right and is free of charge.
	2. There is no legislative provision to allow the issue of permits for sea trout angling in Strangford Lough.
	3. The Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 would need to be amended to allow the introduction of a permit system.
	4. Persons currently fishing for sea trout in the Lough could challenge the introduction of a permit system under the European Convention on Human Rights with regard to their right to the peaceful enjoyment of possessions and the deprivation of those possessions.
	5. A precedent would be created which could impact on the public right to fish in other sea areas around the coast of Northern Ireland.
	The Department has no plans to amend the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 to introduce a permit system in Strangford Lough. There are ongoing discussions regarding the sea trout permit issue and the development of Strangford Lough as a sea trout fishery.

Student Support

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent change there has been in the provision of financial support through the education and library boards to students undertaking postgraduate diplomas at universities in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: The Department for Employment and Learning has announced that funding for discretionary awards for postgraduate diplomas will be discontinued from the 2005–06 academic year. At the same time, however, stipends for students on higher level postgraduate courses, masters and PhDs have increased from £9,000 pa in 2003–04 to £12,000 proposed for 2005–06, in line with the recommendations of the Government's Science, Engineering and Technology Strategy, Investing in Innovation".

Alzheimer's Disease

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will meet local representatives of the Alzheimer's Society to discuss the implications of the recent National Institute for Clinical Excellence recommendation that certain Alzheimer's drugs be withdrawn from the NHS.

Angela Smith: National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance only applies to England and Wales. At present there is a consultation process under way on use of medicines for Alzheimer's disease in the NHS. In such circumstances, it would be better to defer a meeting with local representatives of the Alzheimer's Society.

Bereavement Care

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding was made available by his Department to Cruse Bereavement Care in each of the past five years for which figures are available; and what plans he has to increase the funding.

Angela Smith: Departmental funding to Cruse Bereavement Care in each of the last five years was:
	
		
			  Amount (£) 
		
		
			 2004–05 45,924 
			 2003–04 44,804 
			 2002–03 43,076 
			 2001–02 42,025 
			 2000–01 41,000 
		
	
	There are no plans to increase the funding allocation to Cruse Bereavement Care other than a possible uplift to reflect cost of living.

Children's Fund

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether all projects already established through the Children's Fund will be sustained following the withdrawal of the fund.

Angela Smith: The Department does not have the resources available to sustain the projects currently under the Children Fund once the funding cycle is completed. All organisations in receipt of this funding were aware of the fixed term nature of the funding and it was a criterion of the funding arrangements that there needed to be an exit strategy to identify alternative sources of money if the projects were to be sustained once the funding cycle was completed. It is not known how many of the projects have secured alternative funding.

Corporate Manslaughter

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will bring forward legislation to create an offence of corporate manslaughter in Northern Ireland.

John Spellar: The Government are firmly committed to reforming the law on corporate manslaughter and when proposals are published for England and Wales we intend to consult on the proposal that a Bill's provisions should extend to Northern Ireland.

Crohn's Disease

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children in Northern Ireland are diagnosed as suffering from Crohn's disease; what treatment provision is available to them; what the average cost of treatment is per child; and what provision is available for the counselling of parents of children suffering from the disease.

Angela Smith: Information on the prevalence of Crohn's disease in children is not available. Some children with Crohn's disease receive treatment from clinicians at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, with support from the adult service. Children with conditions requiring access to a paediatric gastroenterology service are being referred to hospitals in Great Britain. In the 2003–04 financial year the average cost per inpatient episode with a primary diagnosis of Crohn's disease was £1,692 and the average cost per day-case attendance was £355. No special provision is made for counselling parents of Crohn's sufferers, other than the normal access that they have to their child's paediatrician.

Planning (Strangford)

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff in his Department work on the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan and the Newtownards area plans; and what progress has been made in reducing time taken to consider planning applications in Strangford.

Angela Smith: The Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan team comprises 31 staff in total. There are currently 13 staff working on the draft Ards and Down Area Plan 2015. It is not possible to provide processing times for planning applications within the Strangford Area as processing times are collated on a district council basis. Nevertheless, the Planning Service is committed in its Modernising Planning Processes (MPP) change programme, through a wide variety of projects and initiatives, to improving the processing times for all planning applications.

Psychiatry

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) admissions and (b) bed days resulting from admissions of young people under the age of 18 years who were admitted to adult psychiatric wards there have been in the Province in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: pursuant to the reply, 13 January 2005, Official Report, c. 657W
	The figure given for (b) number of bed days in 2003–04 was incorrect. The correct information is as follows:
	The number of (a) admissions and (b) bed days resulting from those admissions of young people under the age of 18 years who were admitted to adult psychiatric wards in the Province in each of the last five years is detailed in the following table.
	
		
			  (a) Admissions (b) Number of bed days 
		
		
			 2003–04 173 5,097 
			 2002–03 194 5,401 
			 2001–02 183 6,346 
			 2000–01 198 6,551 
			 1999–2000 196 7,522 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.Figures relate to financial years except for one trust who provided figures for calendar years and for 2004 to 30 November.
	2.If a patient was admitted in one year and their episode carried into the next year the number of bed days are attributed to the year in which the admission took place and the admission is only counted once in the year it occurred.
	3.If a patient is admitted when aged less than 18 years and the patient turns 18 years of age during their episode, bed days after the patient turns 18 years of age are included in total length of stay.
	4.Where possible the number of bed days was calculated excluding days on leave, however one trust was unable to exclude days on leave from their figures.
	5.Figures include patients admitted to psychiatric wards in Muckamore Abbey hospital, which normally caters for learning disabled patients.
	Source:
	HSS trusts

Sewerage

David Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what methodology was used to form the equality impact assessment's view that (a) Protestants and (b) Unionists are likely to bear a disproportionately greater burden of the domestic and sewerage bill under the Government Reform of Water and Sewerage Services; by what percentage he estimates they will be disproportionately affected; and by how much he estimates this would affect the income of the average family in the course of a year, based on each broad policy option.

John Spellar: A spatial analysis methodology was used in the recently published draft Integrated Impact Assessment to assess the equality impact of proposals for domestic charging under the reform of water and sewerage services in Northern Ireland. Analysis of impacts in respect of religious belief was performed at electoral ward level using community background" data from the 2001 census. Analysis of impacts in respect of political opinion was performed at district council level using Electoral Office data based on first preference votes at the 2001 local elections. These data were combined with information regarding recent house sales from the Valuation and Lands Agency. The conclusion that Protestants and Unionists are likely to bear a disproportionately greater burden of domestic water and sewerage charges reflects the fact that there is a markedly higher representation of these groups in those areas of Northern Ireland with higher domestic property prices.
	This methodology allows broad assessments to be made, however data are not available on individual properties to enable calculations to be made of the likely average water and sewerage charge for Protestant and Unionist households. Accordingly, it is not possible to estimate the percentage by which Protestant and Unionist households may be disproportionately affected, nor by how much in relation to the average family income for each broad policy option.

Social Workers

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many social workers are employed in Northern Ireland; and how many vacancies for social workers there are in each health trust within the Province.

Angela Smith: Information is only available in respect of Social Work staff working within the Northern Ireland Health and Personal Social Services.
	The information requested is provided in the tables as follows.
	
		Social work staff employed by the NI Health andPersonal Social Services as at 28 February 2005
		
			 Grade Headcount WTE 
		
		
			 Qualified staff in social work posts 2,656 2,375.49 
			 Unqualified staff in social work posts (28) 427 346.31 
			 Total 3,083 2,721.80 
		
	
	(28) Homefirst Community Health and Social Services Trust were unable to provide the number of unqualified staff in social work posts in the specified timescale.
	
		Social work staff vacancies in the NI Health andPersonal Social Services by Trust as at 28 February 2005
		
			 HPSS Organisation Headcount WTE 
		
		
			 Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust 7 7.00 
			 Causeway HSS Trust 5 5.00 
			 Craigavon and Banbridge Community  HSS Trust (29) 4 4.00 
			 Craigavon Area Hospital Group  HSS Trust 0 0.00 
			 Down Lisburn HSS Trust (30) n/a 9.10 
			 Foyle Community HSS Trust 6 5.50 
			 Homefirst Community HSS Trust (31) n/a n/a 
			 Newry and Mourne HSS Trust 2 2.00 
			 North and West Belfast HSS Trust 8 7.50 
			 South and East Belfast HSS Trust 11 11.00 
			 Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust 11 11.00 
			 Ulster Community and Hospitals  Group HSS Trust 3 2.80 
			 Total 57 64.90 
		
	
	(29)Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust is the only Acute Hospital Trust who directly employs Social Services staff.
	(30)Down Lisburn Trust could only provide a whole-time equivalent number of vacancies.
	(31)Homefirst Community HSS Trust was unable to provide the number of Social Work vacancies in the specified timescale.
	Note:
	Temporary vacancies have been excluded from the table. There were a total of 13 temporary vacancies (13 WTE); Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust have 10 temporary posts, Causeway HSS Trust have two and Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust have one.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

European Constitution

Graham Brady: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will list (a) individuals and (b) organisations that were consulted on the drafting of the question to be asked in the proposed referendum on the EU constitution.

Christopher Leslie: The question was drafted bearing in mind the Electoral Commission's published guidelines, which are designed to ensure that a question is intelligible, and there was some discussion with the Electoral Commission about the application of those guidelines. The Electoral Commission's published views on Lord Blackwell's Private Member's Bill of July 2004 were also taken into account. No other non-governmental organisations or other public bodies were consulted. The wording of the question was agreed collectively at ministerial level.

European Constitution

David Drew: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what advice was received from the Electoral Commission on the referendum question on the EU constitution; and if he will publish the advice.

Christopher Leslie: The Electoral Commission published their comments on the intelligibility of the question on 3 February 2005.
	The question was drafted bearing in mind the Electoral Commission's published guidelines, which are designed to ensure that a question is intelligible, and there was some discussion with the Electoral Commission about the application of those guidelines. The Electoral Commission's published views on Lord Blackwell's Private Member's Bill of July 2004 were also taken into account.
	We have no plans to publish material relating to the formulation of the Government's policy on the terms of the question.

Magistrates Courts

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  how many courts were held each week at Chorley magistrates court in each month in 2004;
	(2)  how many cases were transferred from Chorley magistrates court to other courts in 2004; and for what reasons;
	(3)  how many court cases have been heard outside Chorley since 1 January where the defendant resided in the Chorley constituency;
	(4)  what guidance he issues on the appropriate number of clerks to run a fully operational magistrates court;
	(5)  how many clerks are working in magistrates courts in South Lancashire.

Christopher Leslie: The information is as follows:
	(1) Actual figures are not available, however, a typical weekly pattern for Chorley magistrates court in 2004 was as follows:
	
		
			 Court Number of sittings per week 
		
		
			 Adult 14 
			 Youth 1–2 
			 Licensing 1 
			 Family (32)1 
			 Local authority 1 
			 Private prosecutions (32)1 
		
	
	(32) Per month.
	(2) Actual figures for cases transferred from Chorley magistrates are not available. I am advised that trial cases may be sent following consultation with both parties to either Ormskirk magistrates court or Leyland magistrates court if a trial can be listed earlier.
	(3) Actual figures for court cases heard outside Chorley are not available. I am advised that most cases when the defendant resides in Chorley are heard in Chorley.
	(4) There is no guidance issued centrally and this is a matter for the Lancashire magistrates courts committee (MCC) to determine, as it is with each of the other 41 MCCs in England and Wales.
	(5) There are seven full time legal advisers, two-part time legal advisers, a deputy clerk and a countywide justices' clerk in South Lancashire.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Dementia Benefits

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what benefits are payable for people suffering from dementia; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: We do not pay benefits based on medical diagnosis.
	Incapacity benefit is intended to provide a source of income for sick and disabled people of working age who are unable to work.
	Entitlement to disability living allowance is based on walking difficulties and/or the need for personal care which results from severe disability. The customer's medical condition is not, necessarily, the key factor. Rather it is the disablement that results from it and the effects of that disablement.
	For those over 65 years of age, attendance allowance is available for anyone who needs frequent attention or continual supervision in order to avoid substantial danger to themselves or others. As with disability living allowance, the customer's medical condition is not, necessarily, the key factor.
	For those of working age, we are ensuring that the benefit system encourages and promotes work where possible. However, we recognise that those with the most severe conditions may never be able to work, and benefits provide security for those for whom work is not an option.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times during the(a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the (i) Committee for the Implementation of the Action Programme to Tackle Discrimination and (ii)Restricted Committee of the Safety and Health Commission for the Mining and Other Extractive Industries met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The EU Committee for Implementation of the Action Programme to Promote Gender Equality meets twice a year in Brussels. The last three meetings were held on 11 November 2003 (during the Italian presidency), 20 July 2004 and 15 October 2004 (both of which were in the Dutch presidency). There was no meeting during the Irish presidency. An official from DTI attended the last two meetings in 2004.
	The Restricted Committee of the Safety and Health Commission for the Mining and Other Extractive Industries met once, in Luxembourg on 3 December 2003, during the Italian presidency of the EU. The Committee did not meet during the Irish and Dutch presidencies. A member of the Health and Safety Executive represented the UK Government at the 3 December 2003 meeting.
	There have been three Command Papers produced on prospects for the European Union which include highlights from the presidencies in question—Cm6174 laid in April 2004, Cm6310 laid in September 2004 and Cm6450 laid in February 2005. They are available in the Library and on the FCO website at www.fco.gov.uk/commandpapers.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the (i) Committee of the European Social Fund and (ii) Technical Adaption Committee on the Introduction of Measures to Encourage Improvements in the Safety and Health of Workers at Work met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: An official from the Department for Work and Pensions represented the UK at the European Social Fund Advisory Committee on 26 September 2003 and 5 December 2003 during the Italian presidency; on 16 March 2004, 13 May 2004 and 18 June 2004 during the Irish presidency; and on 24 September 2004 and 23 November 2004 during the Dutch presidency. All of these meetings were held in Brussels.
	During the Italian, Irish and Dutch presidencies the Technical Adaption Committee on the Introduction of Measures to Encourage Improvements in the Safety and Health of Workers at Work did not meet. At meetings of the Technical Adaption Committee on the Introduction of Measures to Encourage Improvements in the Safety and Health of Workers at Work, the UK representatives would be drawn from staff with the relevant technical and policy responsibilities within the Health and Safety Executive.
	There have been three Command Papers produced on prospects for the European Union which include highlights from the presidencies in question—Cm6174 laid in April 2004, Cm6310 laid in September 2004 and Cm6450 laid in February 2005. They are available in the Library and on the FCO website at www.fco.gov.uk/commandpapers.

European Agency for Health and Safety at Work

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the activity of the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work in the UK in the last 12 months; and if he will list its publications and newsletters published over that period.

Jane Kennedy: The activities of European Agency for Safety and Health at Work in the UK are carried out by the Health and Safety Executive, acting as the Agency's Focal Point.
	The HSE maintains the UK Focal Point website, which provides information on health and safety topics and links to other relevant organisations.
	In the last 12 months, the UK Focal Point coordinated the national activities for the European Week for Safety and Health at Work 2004. This included, for example, distributing the Agency's Euro Week publications and selecting a UK nominee for the Agency's Good Practice Awards.
	List of European Agency publications over the period:
	2003 annual report: Providing the insights for a safer and more productive working environment in Europe"
	A summary of the 2003 annual report
	CD ROM: Agency information 2002/2003"
	European Agency Magazine, issue 7: Actions to improve safety and health in construction"
	European Agency Work Programme for 2005
	Rolling Work Programme for 2005–2008
	Information reports:
	Issue 107: SME Funding Scheme 2002–2003"
	Issue 108: Prevention of risks in construction in practice"
	Issue 210: Corporate social responsibility and safety and health at work"
	Issue 211: Quality of the working environment and productivity"
	Issue 313: Mainstreaming occupational safety and health into education"
	Issue 314: Achieving better safety and health in construction"
	Forums:
	Issue 11: Monitoring occupational safety and health in the European Union"
	Issue 12: Working with dangerous substances: The European policy challenge"
	Factsheets:
	No. 48: Health and safety on small construction sites"
	No. 49: Safe roofwork"
	No. 50: Management of noise in construction"
	No. 51: Asbestos in construction"
	No. 52: Mainstreaming occupational safety and health into education"
	No. 53: Ensuring the health and safety of workers with disabilities"
	No. 54: Corporate social responsibility and occupational safety and health"
	No. 55: Achieving better safety and health in construction"
	Bilbao Declaration—'Building in Safety'
	European Week poster: Building in Safety"
	European Week leaflet: Counting down to the European Week for Safety and Health at Work"
	European Week Flier: Good Practice Awards 2004—call for nominations"
	There were no newsletters published by the Agency during this period.

Social Fund Applications

Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Social Fund (a) Community Care Grant, (b) Crisis Loan and (c) Budgeting Loan applications were received in each of the social fund districts and Jobcentre Plus districts covering Tower Hamlets in each of the last five years; how many were successful in each case; and what the total expenditure was in each case.

Chris Pond: The borough of Tower Hamlets was previously in City East Social Fund District and is now in City and East London Jobcentre Plus District. The information is in the tables.
	
		Community Care Grants award
		
			  Applications Initial awards Total expenditure (£) 
		
		
			 City East Social Fund District 
			 1999–2000 2,400 Not available 440,000 
			 2000–01 2,310 670 443,000 
			 2001–02 2,360 900 492,000 
			 2002–03 2,700 1,020 558,000 
			 2003–04 to August 1,150 540 344,000 
			 Area covered by interim City and East London Jobcentre Plus District 
			 2003–04 September to November 2,880 1,100 725,000 
			 Area covered by City and East London Jobcentre Plus District 
			 2003–04 December to March 3,650 1,460 930,000 
		
	
	
		Crisis Loans award
		
			  Applications Initial awards Total expenditure (£) 
		
		
			 City East Social Fund District 
			 1999–2000 5,530 Not available 400,000 
			 2000–01 8,570 5,360 524,000 
			 2001–02 7,320 3,880 407,000 
			 2002–03 7,580 4,740 522,000 
			 2003–04 to August 3,100 2,150 241,000 
			 Area covered by interim City and East London Jobcentre Plus District 
			 2003–04 September to November 4,770 3,200 349,000 
			 Area covered by City and East London Jobcentre Plus District 
			 2003–04 December to March 6,330 4,330 453,000 
		
	
	
		Budgeting Loans award
		
			  Applications Initial awards Total expenditure (£) 
		
		
			 1999–2000 7,250 Not available 2,275,000 
			 2000–01 7,730 5,530 2,658,000 
			 2001–02 7,880 5,790 2,825,000 
			 2002–03 8,450 6,030 2,822,000 
			 2003–04 to August 3,450 2,530 1,230,000 
			 Area covered by interim City and East London Jobcentre Plus District 
			 2003–04 September to November 8,820 5,990 3,011,000 
			 Area covered by City and East London Jobcentre Plus District 
			 2003–04 December to March 10,370 7,740 3,836,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Interim City and East London Jobcentre Plus District was formed in September 2003 by merging City East and Newham Social Fund Districts, together with most of Hackney and Islington Social Fund District and part of Euston Social Fund District. This District was enlarged in December 2003 by the addition of a small area previously in Hackney and Islington Social Fund District to form City and East London Jobcentre Plus District.
	2. For each type of award, the tables refer to three different areas, as such data is not comparable.
	3. Initial awards do not include awards made after review.
	4. Total expenditure does include awards made after review.
	5. Numbers of applications and awards are rounded to the nearest 10. Total expenditure is rounded to the nearest £1,000.
	Source:
	DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.

Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the public service agreement target to reduce the number of children in low-income households by at least 25 per cent. by 2004 was met.

Jane Kennedy: 2004 figures are not yet available. The most recent assessment of this PSA target was published in December 2004 in the Department's autumn performance report, a copy of which is available in the Library.

Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to end child poverty by 2020 will be met;
	(2)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to modernise welfare delivery so as to improve the accessibility, accuracy and value for money of services to customers, including employers;
	(3)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to promote work as the best form of welfare for people of working age, while protecting the position of those in greatest need;
	(4)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to combat poverty for today's and tomorrow's pensioners;
	(5)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to promote security and independence for today's and tomorrow's pensioners.

Jane Kennedy: These are Objectives; progress towards their underpinning PSA targets was published in December 2004 in the Department's Autumn Performance Report, a copy of which is in the Library.

Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to halve the number of children in low-income households between 1998–99 and 2010–11 will be met;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to increase the proportion of parents with care on income support and income based job-seekers' allowance who receive maintenance for their children to 65 per cent. by March 2008 will be met;
	(3)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to reduce the proportion of children living in workless households by 5 per cent. between spring 2006 and spring 2008 will be met;
	(4)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to be paying pension credit to at least 3.2 million pensioner households by 2008 will be met;
	(5)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to ensure that customers receive a high quality service, including high levels of accuracy;
	(6)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to improve housing benefit administration;
	(7)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to reduce the average time taken to process a housing benefit claim to no more than 48 days nationally by March 2008 will be met;
	(8)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to reduce the average time taken to process a housing benefit claim to no more than 55 days across the bottom 15 per cent. of local authorities by March 2008 will be met;
	(9)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to increase the number of cases in the deregulated private rented sector in receipt of local housing allowance to 740,000 by 2008 will be met;
	(10)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to increase the number of cases in receipt of local housing allowance where the rent is paid directly to the claimant to 470,000 by 2008 will be met;
	(11)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to improve health and safety outcomes in Great Britain by 2008 will be met;
	(12)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to improve the control of risks in the workplace;
	(13)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to improve working age individuals' awareness of their retirement provision such that by 2007–08 15.4 million individuals are regularly issued a pension forecast will be met;
	(14)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to improve working age individuals' awareness of their retirement provision such that by 2007–08 60,000 successful pension traces are undertaken a year will be met;

Jane Kennedy: These targets were agreed as part of the 2004 Spending Review which covers the period 2005–08. It is too early to assess whether these targets will be achieved. Progress will be reported in future in the annual Departmental Report and Autumn Performance Report.

Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to double the proportion of parents with care on income support and income based jobseekers's allowance who receive maintenance for their children to 60 per cent. by March 2006 will be met;
	(2)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to increase the employment rate and decrease the unemployment rate by Spring 2006;
	(3)  what recent progress has made towards the Public Service Agreement target to increase the employment rate among disadvantaged areas and groups by spring 2006;
	(4)  what recent progress has made towards the Public Service Agreement target to reduce significantly the difference between the employment rate of disadvantaged groups and the overall rate;
	(5)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to reduce the proportion of children in households with no one in work by 6.5 per cent. by spring 2006 will be met;
	(6)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to be paying pension credit to at least three million pensioner households by 2006 will be met;
	(7)  what recent progress has been made towards the Public Service Agreement target to improve delivery of his Department's services;
	(8)  what recent assessment has been made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to reduce losses from fraud and error for people of working age in income support and jobseeker's allowance by 50 per cent. by 2006 will be met;
	(9)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to reduce losses from fraud and error in housing benefit by 25 per cent. by 2006 will be met.

Jane Kennedy: The most recent assessment of these PSA targets was published in December 2004 in the department's Autumn Performance Report, a copy of which is in the Library.

Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to deliver welfare payments into the bank accounts of 85 per cent. of customers by 2005 will be met.

Jane Kennedy: This PSA target has been met.
	I refer the hon. Member to the oral answers given on 24 January 2005, to the hon. Member for South-West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous), Official Report, column 7, and to the hon. Member for Newark (Patrick Mercer), Official Report, column 20.

Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to improve rights and opportunities for disabled people in a fair and inclusive society;
	(2)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to improve the rights of disabled people and remove barriers to their participation in society by March 2008;
	(3)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to increase awareness of the rights of disabled people by March 2008;
	(4)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to increase the employment rate of disabled people by March 2008;
	(5)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to reduce significantly the difference between the employment rate of disabled people and the overall rate by March 2008.

Jane Kennedy: These targets were agreed as part of the 2004 spending review which covers the period 2005–08. No assessment of progress against these targets has yet been made. However, progress against the similar SR2002 targets was published in December 2004 in the Department's autumn performance report, a copy of which is available in the Library.

Unemployment Programme

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on programmes to help the unemployed move back to work in each year since 1997; if he will list the programmes involved, specifying the amounts spent on each programme in each year since 1997; and what percentage of each amount was spent in Scotland.

Jane Kennedy: The available information is in the tables.
	
		Expenditure on labour market programmes for the unemployed
		
			  1997–98 1998–99 
			  Total spend Spend in Scotland(33) Total spend Spend in Scotland(33) 
			 Programme(34) £ million(35) , (36) £ million(35) , (36) Percentage £ million(35) , (36) £ million(35)(5507520036) Percentage 
		
		
			 New Deal for 18–25+ 12 0 0 179 10 6 
			 Work Based Learning for Adults(37) 382 0 0 264 0 0 
			 Project Work 41 0 0 8 0 0 
			 Jobsearch Provision(38) 39 3 9 30 3 11 
			 Employment Zones 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Others(39) 21 0 1 13 0 2 
			 Total 494 4 1 495 13 3 
		
	
	
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 
			  Total spend Spend in Scotland(33) Total spend Spend in Scotland(33) 
			 Programme(34) £ million(35) , (36) £ million(35) , (36) Percentage £ million3, 4 £ million(35) , (36) Percentage 
		
		
			 New Deal for 18–25+ 353 34 10 335 37 11 
			 Work Based Learning for Adults(37) 264 0 0 2 0 2 
			 Project Work 0 0 0 275 0 0 
			 Jobsearch Provision(38) 32 3 11 30 3 12 
			 Employment Zones 1 0 0 54 6 11 
			 Others(39) 12 0 1 7 0 3 
			 Total 657 37 6 703 47 7 
		
	
	
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 
			  Total spend Spend in Scotland(33) Total spend Spend in Scotland(33) 
			 Programme(34) £ million(35) , (36) £ million(35) , (36) Percentage £ million(35) , (36) £ million(35) , (36) Percentage 
		
		
			 New Deal for 18–25+ 359 36 10 292 42 14 
			 New Deal 50+ 2 0 6 3 0 6 
			 Work Based Learning for Adults(37) 168 1 0 123 0 0 
			 Jobsearch Provision(38) 19 3 17 16 3 21 
			 Employment Zones 93 10 11 86 8 10 
			 Others(39) 7 0 4 11 0 4 
			 Total 648 50 8 531 55 10 
		
	
	
		
			  2003–04 
			  Total spend Spend in Scotland(33) 
			 Programme(34) £ million(35) , (36) £ million(35) , (36) Percentage 
		
		
			 New Deal for 18–25+ 352 42 12 
			 New Deal 50+ 3 0 6 
			 Work Based Learning for Adults(37) 160 0 0 
			 Jobsearch Provision(38) 19 3 15 
			 Employment Zones 79 10 12 
			 Ambitions 8 0 6 
			 Others(39) 18 1 7 
			 Total 639 57 9 
		
	
	(33) Includes expenditure incurred by Employment Service's/Jobcentre Plus' Office for Scotland" region. Figures exclude expenditure controlled centrally within the Employment Service/Jobcentre Plus and DWP/DfEE; and expenditure that has been devolved to the Scottish Executive.
	(34) The programmes exclude initiatives not primarily aimed at the unemployed.
	(35) Figures rounded to nearest million; figures may not sum due to rounding.
	(36) Figures comprise DEL programme expenditure only.
	(37) Called Training for Work in Scotland. Figures for Scotland excluded as this is a devolved responsibility.
	(38) Jobsearch provision includes expenditure on Jobclubs, Jobplan and Jobsearch.
	(39) Includes expenditure on Jobfinders Grant, Travel to Interview Scheme, Advisers Discretionary Fund, Worktrials, Job Transition Service/Rapid Response Service, Workwise/Worklink, Jobmatch, Restart, Employment Retention and Advancement Demonstration, and associated programme expenditure (e.g. marketing and research).